Pokémon: Gotta Catch 'Em All! (Open)

Today, was the day! JaK had finally graduated the Oak Pokemon Academy, and geez-loo-weez was that hard! It was a radical thought that people used to complete this entire academy by 10 years old. Well at the ripe age of 14, JaK had finally received his pokedex as proof as his completion of the academy and was now ready to travel the globe in search of finding rare and exotic pokemon to enter the Pokemon League with. But before he left, first thing was first. He needed to buy some stuff from the local mart.

JaK had already woke up, gone on a run, took a shower, and ate breakfast and kissed his mom good morning. Now all that was left was for him to make moves - However his mom had been hovering over him all morning, slowing JaK down. JaK's mom had been crying all day and night prior so he spent most of yesterday and this last week spending quality time with her and comforting her instead of prepping for his long journey, but in the end she was happy JaK was going to follow in his father's foot steps and pursue becoming a pokemon master. And in turn JaK was happy that she was happy to see him go and supported his dream...

"JaaaaaaK did you grab a fresh pair of underwear?" JaK's mother called from the kitchen.



"For the 17th time Ma, YES! And that's not what I'm looking for, I'm looking for---" Suddenly a pair of dirty underwear flew from up above and across the living room into JaK's face. The sound of hysterical laughter chattered from up atop immobile ceiling fan. "Hilarious Chimchar..." JaK said as he peered up at the fire monkey pokemon. "Now c'mon let's go," JaK said dramatically. "If you're done playing games I'd like to get on the road before nightfall, ya know?" Chimchar stuck his tongue out at JaK and then was struck by a red light as JaK returned it to it's pokeball. "Forever the trouble maker." JaK chuckled a bit then stored the pokeball onto his belt, put on his shoes, then headed out the door.

Once outside and on the road towards the mart, JaK was greeted by many of his friends, neighbors, and just general townsfolk. Pallet town wasn't a very big area and alsmot everyone knew each other. Almost everyone was giving JaK accolades and congratulating him on graduating the academy. "Thank you, Mr. Birkshire!  Thank you, Mrs. Macintosh, my mom loved the casserole you made the other day. Hey, Gerald, thank's a lot dude. See you in Viridian City!" JaK waved at groups of his classmates who were already on their way to either Viridian City or waiting for the SS. Anne to either take them to Cinnabar Island or another region altogether to start their journeys. As JaK walked backwards and waved at yet another group of his senior classmates he bumped into someone else he hadn't seen in quite some time, who was also just about to head in to the Mart...

The girl JaK had bumped in to was named Evelyn Oak, JaK's former bestfriend and school crush. She was also Professor Oak's niece (by marriage) and possibly the best battler in the academy. JaK and Evelyn stared at each other for nearly twenty seconds straight as over four dozen memories filled their minds of the past 6 years until finally another person exiting the mart asked them to move aside and brought them back to reality. "Oh, hey Eve..I didn't know you were still in town." JaK said as he rubbed the back of his nape.

"Hey, JaK! Yeah, no I uh was just stopping by and running some errands for Uncle Oak before I head out."

JaK placed his hands in his pockets and snickered. "Oh, so you're starting out today too? Finally, got the itch to become a Pokemon Trainer?"

Eve rolled her eyes and walked past JaK a bit while looking him up and down. "No dork, that's your goal. You know mine's always been to collect and study them. I wanna catch the rarest pokemon I can find and present them in front of the whole world, and then...." Eve began to salivate as giant money signs replaced her pupils. "...And then get filthy stinkin rich and famous! Maybe even win a Poke-Nobel prize. Have my own institute!"

A sweat droplet ran down JaK's face as she entered into her usual delusions of grandeur. "You haven't changed a bit..." JaK folded his arms. "Still dreaming of getting more rich and famous than Professor Oak, huh?"

Eve exited her delusion and turned back to normal. "And what about you, huh? I don't wanna hear that from the boy who always cut corners in class." JaK looked away from her awkwardly while she walked right up to him and narrowed her eyes while placing her hands on her hips. "Have you bought supplies, have you properly packed for a hiking expedition, have you even received your starter pokemon from Uncle Oak?"

"I mean why would I need to? I already have Chimchar." JaK said as he leaned away from her. She was way to close to him for JaK not to get overly excited.

"Ughh," Eve placed a hand on her face. "Because Dork-a-rooni, having a well-balanced team is tantamount to trainer success. This is why I always had to do your homework for you after class, you know that right?"

JaK put a finger to his lips. "Shhh, don't let the Professor hear you say that."

"He knows JaK," Eve said as she pushed JaK inside the Mart.

"He does!?"

"Sigh...Lets start by getting you some items, then I'll take you to see Uncle Oak."

Evelyn and JaK approached Professor Oak's laboratory while deeply immersed in conversation. Evelyn lead him onto the property while walking backwards in front of JaK who had his hands in his pockets. "I still don't get why I needed the Town Map, isn't half the fun of exploring getting lost in the adventure?"

"Said like someone who's remains well find buried years from now."

JaK shivered. "That got morbid pretty quick.."

Evelyn flashed a smile at JaK and giggled as she turned to open the door to her uncle's lab. "I think you're just mad that you're broke now. Don't worry, I can loan you some---"

"THAT'S NOT IT!" JaK yelled with his cheeks flush, indicating that was exactly it.


"Oh, JaK....and Eve, what brings you here. I thought you both would be halfway to Cinnabar Island by now." Said one of Professor Oak's aides. His name was Desmond. He also was one of the instructors at the academy.

"Hi Desmond," Eve said brimming with joy. "Doofus here forgot to get his starter Pokemon." JaK looked away from the two with a sweat droplet running down is cheek.

Desmond deeply sighed. "JaaaaaaK we went over this in class at least twelve times didn't we? I swear." Desmond looked around while frowning. "And sadly the Professor isn't even here right now, he left to aid in a Taurus extraction down route. But luckily for you I was cleared to give out starters today. However there is one catch...And you need to promise me that you won't abandon this starter Pokemon I'm going to give you when you find out."

JaK frowned. "If you think I'd ever toss aside a Pokemon, then you weren't the one paying attention in class Des." JaK said immediately. Evelyn and Desmond both smiled at JaK's fired up response. His passion was his most redeeming quality.

"Right, ok then, over here if you will." Desmond lead them to a pokeball resting on a red velvet pillow on the research table that looked like any other and handed it to JaK. "So this Pokemon has been abandoned many times by trainers before because it refuses to evolve."

"Huh?" JaK said. "Refuses to evolve?" JaK took the pokeball and stared at it with a concerned gaze. He could immediately understand why any new trainer wouldn't want such a problematic starter pokemon. A pokemon that won't evolve is a rare occurrence indeed.

"But why would it not want to evolve?" Evelyn said as she dramatically slammed her hands on the table. "Evolving is how a Pokemon ascends and gets stronger, I don't get it?"

Desmond only shrugged in response. "It's doesn't matter..." JaK said as he smiled at the pokeball. "Whatever reason this Pokemon doesn't want to evolve is it's own choice. And that's fine with me, I'll help it prove that it can be just as strong as every other Pokemon in existence just the way it is right now!"

Eve waved her hands. "JaK, JaK, JaK are you sure this isn't a smart decision for a novice trai---" Suddenly the pokeball JaK was holding burst open emitting a bright white light which sprung onto the floor and revealed a green frog like creature with a bulb on it's back. "A Bulbasaur?!" Eve took out her Pokedex and scanned the little pocket monster.


Bulbasaur turned and glared at JaK who wiped his nose and gave it a thumbs up. "Nice to meet you Bulbasaur, I'm gonna be your new Trainer. If that's ok with you?" JaK said as he knelt down to Bulbasaur's level and extended his palm towards it. Bulbasaur hesitated at first but it had been listening to everything JaK had just said. He was...different from it's former trainers. He was fine with Bulbasaur staying just the way it was, before he had even known what type of Pokemon it was. Bublasaur smiled back and cried it's name out loud, physically displaying it's acceptance of JaK.

Desmond sighed and shrugged again. "Well that's JaK for you. He could charm a Slakoth into working a full time job, I swear."

"Well that's decided," Eve said with a half smile. She looked worried still but just shook her head. "I guess I was worried over nothing. They're already a dynamic duo." Evelyn said as JaK and Bulbasaur gave each other a high five. Bulbasaur brandished a singular vine to achieve this. Evelyn clapped her hands. "OK! I'm not convinced!"

JaK and Bulbasaur looked at Eve confused. "What do you mean?

"I'm not convinced a chowder-head like you can competently use a pokemon you just received properly." Eve said as she walked away from JaK to the other side of the lab and pointed a finger at him. "Let's battle!"

JaK and Desmond both lagged their response and then in unison gasped. "Wait, wait ,wait! Guys I'm not so sure that's such a good idea to do that here..." Desmond begged but was ignored by the two teens.

"You sure you wanna do that? I didn't even know you had already gotten your starter Pokemon yet." JaK said with a confident demeanor as he stood up erect and took out his bandana.

"Of course I did, unlike someone, I paid attention in class" Evelyn said as she brandished a miniaturized pokeball and enlarged it. "But I understand if you don't wanna face me. I mean I did always beat you at the academy."

JaK smirked. "Class is over Eve, but Bulbasaur and I will school you on how strong our bond is already if that's what you want," JaK said as he wrapped and tightened his bandana around his head. Bulbasaur jumped in front of it's new trainer and exuberantly roared it's name.

"Again, guys I really must insist that, uhh well, this isn't exactly the place to be---" Desmond frantically waved his arms in a halting motion as the two young trainers remained fixated on each other.

"It's gonna take more than a strong bond to beat superior strategy you dunder-head," Evelyn said playfully and twirled before taking a baseball pitchers stance and throwing forward her pokeball. As the orb struck the floor it exploded in a torrent of energy then returned back to her hand and unleashed a peculiar foreign Pokemon...

JaK whipped out his Pokedex the moment the lizard like Pokemon emerged from it's ball on all fours. The tiny gecko rose up to it's hind legs and growled at the frog seedling like creature opposing it from across the battleground. Bulbasaur bellowed it's name back at it's foe. Meanwhile, Desmond pleaded with the two teens to halt their contest in the background to no avail...


"Ok, Bulbasaur start things off with a Tackle Attack!" Bulbasaur responded to it's trainers command by once again calling out it's own name and charging at Treecko.

"Still too easy to read JaK. Treecko, stop it in it's tracks!" Treecko leered at the incoming bulb pokemon. It's commanding gaze immediately intimidated it's foe slowing it down.

JaK looked confused, "Huh? How is it doing that to Bulbasaur?"

Pokedex: Treecko is known for always being cool, calm, and collected - it never panics under any situation. If a bigger foe were to glare at this Pokémon, it would glare right back without conceding an inch of ground.

"Well it's never met a team like me and Bulbasaur," JaK declared while throwing out his left arm in a large sweeping motion. "Bulbasaur, show them what you're made of and push through it!" Bulbasaur continued to hesitate but flashbacks of JaK stating it would prove Bulbasaur was fine just the way it was flickered through the pokemon's mind. This gave Bulbasaur the motivation it needed to continue charging at Treecko.

Both Treecko and Eve seemed to be a little shocked. "What!? How are you controlling a pokemon you just received so well?"

"I told you this isn't like the academy!" However, as Bulbasaur neared Treecko to tackle it. The wood gecko pokemon jumped up and over Bulbasaur, turning midleap to face Bulbasaur from behind.

"I don't know," Eve said with a smirk plastered on her face. "Seems pretty similar to me. Treecko, Bullet Seed!" Treecko took a deep breath and exhaled a flurry of small, green, high velocity projectiles at Bulbasaur that all hit him dead on the mark. Bulbasaur yelled it's name again as the seeds struck it and caused it to collapse on the ground.

"Bulbasaur no!" JaK said.

"Now Treecko, capitalize with Pound Attack!" This time Treecko yelled it's name upon landing on the ground and then ran at Bulbasaur. Upon approaching Bulbasaur, Treecko front flipped through the air in an attempt to slam it's tail into Bulbasaur's head.

"Bulbasaur, don't give up, dodge and counter with your vine whip~!" Bulbasaur winced showing it was unable to perform an actual dodge but complied with it's trainer's request and shot out a vine around the chair leg near by then tightened the slack, reeling Bulbasaur out of the way of Treecko's pound attack. Then shot a second vine around Treecko's ankle. It lifted Treecko up off it's feet and whiplashed it into one of the machine's nearby causing it to crash into 5k device and breaking it!

"WHAT?! How did you manage that?" Eve was dumbfounded, JaK was battling in ways she'd never seen before. Although, she had also never seen him THIS serious. Spark's flew from the broken machine but still Treecko sat up, now also wincing in pain.

"Let's end this! Tackle Attack, Bulbasaur!"

"Let's end this! Treecko, use Pound!"

A split screen showed the determination in both starter Pokemon's eyes. They glared at one another and then each called out their name while running at each other.

"ENNNNNOUGH!!" Desmond hollered as everyone else in the room came to a halt. The teenagers and their pokemon all looked to Desmond who was in tears and on his knees right next to the broken machine. "The Professor is going to kill me when he sees this broken!" Desmond then turned his gaze on the kids. Flames replaced his eyeballs and he appeared to grow to three times his size. "KIDS YOU'RE GONNA ANSWER FOR THIS!"

Both Bulbasaur and Treecko immediately returned to their pokeballs on their own while JaK and Eve stood erect, both laughing awkwardly while sweat drops ran down the side of their heads.

"Go Teddiursa!" The girl threw a Pokéball up in the air and out popped a Pokémon that Josh hadn't seen before so he got out his Pokédex to scan it.



Josh couldn't help but let out a laugh after hearing that Pokedex description. "I thought you said you liked tough Pokemon, this should be an easy one Cubchoo."
 


The girl smiled at Josh's comment. "Fury Swipes now!" Teddiursa charged straight towards Cubchoo, it's claws razor sharp and ready to start hacking away at the ice type. Cubchoo was caught off guard with how aggressive it's opponent was, it too had heard the description from the Pokedex so was also expecting an easy battle.

"Cubchoo, don't back down and use your own Fury Swipes!" Cubchoo nodded and charged at Teddiursa. Both the little bears met in the middle ground between their trainers and started swiping at each other viciously, each one looking to land a harder blow than the opponent with both getting pretty badly scratched up in the process. After a couple of seconds of back and forth scratching Cubchoo manages to land a decent blow on the Teddiursa which sent it flying backwards.

As it got back to it's feet the little brown bear seemed to be holding one if it's paws as if it was really hurt, a few tears starting to form in it's eyes before it broke down crying. "Oh no Teddiursa."

Cubchoo then made a beeline towards it's opponent looking to finish the battle. "Wait!" Josh yelled causing Cubchoo to stop in it's tracks. "If it's to hurt to continue then we don't want to hurt it even more." Cubchoo looked at Josh and nodded, there was no need to hurt a Pokémon more than he had to.

"Now Teddiursa!" Hearing the girls command Teddiursa immediately stopped crying and launched itself at the ice bear landing a powerful Take Down attack which really seemed to deal some damaged. "Now's our chance Teddiursa, finish it off with Double Edge." With Cubchoo struggling to defend itself Teddiursa once again launched itself at it, this time with reckless abandonment looking to finish the battle. Teddiursa landed a clean hit on Cubchoo and while he hurt himself landing the attack he was successful in knocking his opponent out.

"No Cubchoo." Josh ran over to check on his Pokémon. Picking it up in his arms it seemed like that last attack had really hurt so he returned it to its Pokéball ready to head off towards the Pokémon Center, but first he turned around to face the girl. "What the hell was that? Is that how you win your battles? Cheating?"

"Hey, just because you don't do your research doesn't mean I cheated. If you had studied harder in school then you would've known that Teddiursa has a technique called Fake Tears. Just because Teddi and I have battled long enough to know when to use it without calling it doesn't mean we cheat. You need to learn that a Pokémon battle isn't over until one Pokémon can no longer stand, not until one starts crying." She returned Teddiursa to its Pokéball and turned around to walk off. "Oh, the name's Flowe by the way, just so you know who beat you."

As she walked away Josh quickly darted off towards the nearest Pokémon Center

Our young adventurers had finally made it out of Pallet Town and were on their way through the Viridian forest. JaK walked ahead of Eve with his hands behind his head, whistling a tune. Meanwhile, Eve glared into the back of his skull - if a look could burn JaK's hair would have been on fire. However her glare was acutely intense enough that JaK knew she was doing it.

JaK turned around and faced her, hands still behind his head. His bandana was tied to his wrist now allowing him to run his fingers through and ruffle his wild hair in an agitated fashion. He glared back at her and as their gazes connected imaginary sparks flew where they met.

"WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM!? ME? You're the one who---HEY! Cut it out!!"

"WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?! ME? You're the one who---HEY! Cut it out!!"

JaK and Eve both stopped and gritted their teeth as they started to yell at each other so loud they could be heard nearly a half-mile all the way at the beginning of the trail, even though they were deep within the forest at this point.

"Why are you even following me?" JaK said while pointing a finger at her.

"Are you dense!?" Eve said while flailing her arms. "Thanks to you I just gave away all my money to Desmund to fix that machine you broke in that battle, now I'm as broke as you!"

"I BROKE? You challenged me, if anything WE broke it, and you paid him so what does it matter?"

Eve stomped her feet. "You numbskull, I gave him 500 yen. That machine costs 5000 yen! I have to make payments to him weekly now since Desmund had to use his salary to buy a new one."

"....Oh."

"Don't oh me, give me your savings to help me pay him back. I already gave him all of mine. I still owe him 3000 more yen."

"Well, ya see...about that..." JaK said while scratching the side of his head with one finger.

"......" Eve puffed up her cheeks almost turning red. " You're useless, I don't know what I was thinking trying to help you." Eve stomped off in the other direction from JaK heading off the trail.

JaK was going to try and stop her from making such a dangerous action but instead just stuck out his tongue and turned around as well. "FINE! Who needs you anyway?  I don't need anyone's help."

Not even three steps after their big blow out. JaK heard a scream. It sounded like Eve. But JaK kept walking. She had probably just crossed paths with a bug or something. "That's just her being dramatic." JaK then heard another scream and slowed down his walk. "Eh, she probably doesn't need help."

"I NEED HELP!"

"I mean she doesn't want my help," JaK said as he stopped walking and folded his arms.

"ANYBODY PLEASE!"

"Ok, but that doesn't mean me, specifically."

"JAK THAT MEANS YOU SPECIFICALLY, HELP!"

JaK paused and made no movements as a tumbleweed rolled by. "Ah crud! I'M COMING!"

JaK ran into the high forest grass off the beaten trail to find a flock of Pidgey swarming Eve. She was huddled over and holding on to something.

"EVE!" JaK yelled out as he tried to run over to her but the winds being generated by all of the Pidgey in the area flapping about kept blowing him off his feet.

"JAK!" Eve yelled. She wasn't trying to protect herself. Was whatever she was protecting worth enduring all this?

Regardless JaK needed to help her. JaK pulled a pokeball from his belt. "Go Chimchar, I choose you!" JaK lunged the pokeball into the windstorm and out of the pokeball burst the little monkey pokemon in a flash of white light. It gripped the grass and gritted it's teeth to keep from being swept away by the winds itself. "Chimchar use your ember attack!" Chimchar called out it's name and wriggled about sending chunks for flame scattering about from it's tail and up into the winds. The flock of Pidgeys quickly dispersed to avoid being burnt by the flames.

With the short break JaK had given her Eve called out for Treecko who also exploded from it's pokeball by it's trainer's side. "Now Treecko, fight back with bullet seed!" Treecko stood on it's hind legs and picked out a pidgey it saw flapping around nearby and pelted it with a continuous projectile stream of seedlings. The attack landed dead on and knocked the bird pokemon from the sky onto the ground. The other Pidgey fled at the arrival of both starter pokemon, leaving the injured Pidgey behind. "Now, pokeball go!" Eve stood up and threw a pokeball at the injured Pidgey Treecko had struck.


"Gotcha!" Eve said and snapped her fingers as the ball ceased rocking after absorbing the bird pokemon inside of it. JaK returned Chimchar after thanking it and ran to Eve's side after picking up the pokeball containing the newly caught Pidgey and handing it to her.

"What the heck was all that about?!" JaK said. He looked down and saw a green cocoon shaped creature that was damaged. "Wait isn't that a..."

Suddenly the green cocoon like creature began glow bright green. Eve took her pokeball back from JaK and stared in disbelief with him as they both watched a wild pokemon evolve right in front of their faces for the first time. Then out of the husk of the cocoon rose a Butterfree! The Butterfree flapped and flew around Eve while squeaking it's name.

"You're welcome, you're welcome." Eve said while giggling and petting the butterfly like pokemon. Eve then turned to JaK who looked very confused. "After our fight I saw this poor thing getting picked on by the flock of Pidgeys and I just had to help it." The Butterfree began exclaim it's name a lot more and motioned for the two trainers to follow it deeper into the forest, away from the path. Eve and JaK looked at each other as if reading each other's thoughts were a more preferred method of communication and nodded to one another before following after the wild Pokemon.

Butterfree lead the young heroes to a river that had a small mill attached to it, which was attached to a small cottage. Around the cottage were a gaggle of Pokemon, some the teens knew of, and some neither had ever seen before. There were Rattatas, Weedles, Bellsprouts, and Sandshrew, and even a Fartfetch'd and, and Ponytas! JaK and Eve stood nearly back to back as their mouths hung wide open and the amazement of such a variety of pokemon spread out in front of their eyes washed over the duo.

"Wow, that's a---"

"No, but look at this one --"

"Hey no, look over there, it's a--"

"But wait isn't that a---"

The two trainers kept pushing and shoving each other out of the way as they whipped out their pokedexs and pointed them at each pokemon in view. Their respective pokedexs each began rattling off entries for the individual types before their eyes. That's when both JaK and Evelyn saw a large pink turtle like shell floating in the water from upstream. "What is that?" JaK said.

"I think it's part of a dead pokemon?" Evelyn said.

JaK being the careful, intelligent, and thoughtful trainer he was decided to grab a stick and poke the floating shell with it. The shell suddenly began to violently rock and then turned over revealing an old bald, white bearded man wearing sunglasses gasping for air. Both teenage trainers screamed in unison and comedically in the same tone.

Minutes later the turtle shell wearing old man was laying on all fours while spitting out a stream of water like a faucet onto the ground, followed by a raspy cough.

JaK and Eve both sighed, relieved they had saved the older gentleman. The old man then turned his head to Eve. "Thank you young maiden, you save saved me. Anything I can do to repay you will be given and then some..."



"Actually," JaK interjected. "Bulbasaur and I were the ones who reeled you out of the river."

"And I mean...Anything." The old man said as his clammy wrinkled hands clasped Eve's.

The obvious sting of rejection caused JaK to fold his arms while spouting steam from his nostrils. "Your welcome," He muttered under his breath.

Eve's face painfully smiled back at the creepy old guy, while she strained to pull her hand from his grasp. "Don't mention it - but why were you in the river in the first place?"

"Yeah, and what's up with the turtle shell?" JaK chimed in.

The older gentleman stood upright and stroked his beard as he began to recount the tail for them. He explained that he was known as the Pokemon Hermit and for the last 64 years he had spent his time scaling the globe nurturing and raising any pokemon in need that he could find....

Before the hermit could go into more detail on his entire life story of travels and adventure both JaK and Eve were seen preparing to leave. The old man’s story was too long and the young trainers had things too do.

“HEY WAIT STOP!” The old hermit said causing the teens to halt. The hermit regained his composure and coughed into his fist. “Ehem, well that’s a story for another time,” he said and motioned for the two to follow him. “This is my sanctuary where I am busy conducting research on the pokemon mating season. This shell on my back is a disguise I use to make the pokemon feel more at ease, and this is where I’m staying.” The old hermit led them to what seemed like a nearly just as old rickety cottage by the river. Next to it was a knocked over bucket and rope by the rivers edge, which explained how the old gentleman ended up head over heels in the river in the first place. “As thanks for saving me I insist you weary travelers stay the night, at the very least.”

JaK and Eve looked at each other. It was passed half day and they were in no position to turn down help. “Sure thing, thank you,” JaK said.

“Wait, you mean to tell me a perv—-I mean old man like yourself is a researcher? I’ve never heard of the Pokemon Hermit? Not even from my Uncle Oak.” Eve said.

The old hermit furrowed an eyebrow. “Oh so you’re Oak’s kin are ye,” the old hermit deeply sighed. “He and I fell out of touch years ago after we disagreed on how to nurture and raise awareness for pokemon in the scientific field. But anyway I’d rather not bore you with insignificant details when I should be giving you a tour of my research.” The old hermit pulled out and enlarged a pokeball then launched it into the air. “Go Heracross! I choose you!”

The pokeball exploded in a flash of white light which formed into a giant horned bug pokemon. “What is that!?” JaK said as he pointed his pokedex at the bug pokemon.


The old man chuckled with his hands behind his back. “That’s one of Oak’s modern inventions, eh? A pokedex was it? I bet it comes in handy. Heracross show them to their rooms and then give them a showing of the area. I'll be busy with my research if you need me.”

Heracross sounded out half it’s name and then walked JaK and Eve towards the cottage. As JaK looked back over his shoulder at the old hermit he would note that the hermit was suspiciously combing his beard with his fingers tips while in deep thought.


Inside the wooden cottage was a brick chimney, and old tattered couch, one bedroom blocked off with a rickety bed and a small wooden table. Inside the bedroom was also a coat rack and a wooden dresser.  There were also two windows in the cottage....although the one in the bedroom was busted.

JaK and Eve followed Heracross inside. Heracross stopped and pointed to the couch. JaK nodded and placed his pack over there. When Eve went to do the same Heracross crossed his hands into an X formation and said his own name then handed Eve a note from the hermit that said, 'Feel free to take the left side of my bed' XOXO'

"DENIED!!" Eve said out loud as she crumbled and ripped up the note angrily.


After getting situated (and Eve placed her things back by JaK who knew better than to ask why she seemed angry at this point) the two trainers were given a tour of the secret sanctuary by Heracross. They found trees teeming with Kakuna and Metapods. They found stables built out of wood which housed some of the Ponyta they had seen. They found bird houses with fountains, seed, and pokeblocks hanging next to them on tree branches or planted down below for wild Pidgey and Spearow.

Evelyn was amazed by the creepy hermits attention to detail and research. The future pokemon researcher took many notes on the organization, set-up, feeding schedule, and overall upkeep of the pokemon's facilities and how each section seemed to attended to needs specific to the pokemon that inhabited it. "This is all so fascinating! Isn't it JaK?!" Eve said with a wide smile. She was so engrossed in observing the habitats on this tour that she didn't even notice the grimace on JaK's face.

"Yeah, but...why all the way out here? Hidden? In the middle of a forest?" JaK pondered and looked down at his own reflection in the water as Heracross led them down by the river to the next exhibit.

Before the teenagers knew it, nightfall was upon them. They were guided back to their quarters. Hours later, JaK was staring out the window into the moonlit night. Meanwhile, Eve was peacefully asleep next to him. Something was off about this place, something JaK just couldn't shake. He decided he would get up and have a look around. If he was going to have a restless and sleepless night anyway, might as well do it while looking around for answers.