Route 201

A dirt path is the first thing I taste waking up. I roll over onto my back, holding my face in pain. Whenever I fall, why do I keep landing on my face? My train of thought is interrupted by an annoying high pitched voice.

Hey there, guy! Are you OK?

- Ugh… where am I?

Route 201, we’re not far from Lake Verity.

- Lake Very? There’s over 200 routes here? So I’m not in Hoenn anymore?

Did you hit your head or something, guy? We’re in Sinnoh!

- Are you going to help me up or what?

Oh sorry!

The blonde kid gives me a hand in getting to my feet. I brush myself off and notice how my clothes are badly ripped and I find several twigs and leaves.

- Thanks, have you seen my bag around here?

No, sorry. I– oh!

A man and a girl are approaching from the lakefront.

Look guy, I’ll get you a new bag and some clothes too if you just play along!

- I, uh.. what?

Professor Rowan! So nice to see you again. About what we said earlier..

Barry… Like I said before, I don’t think you’ve got what it takes. Besides I need two trainers, I have three pokemon that need raising and so far I only have Dawn to take care of one.

Oh, wow really? I haven’t even picked yet!

But that’s why I’m here! I brought my good friend… er…

- Caldar.

My good friend Caldar here!

Oh? He certainly looks well travelled. Tell me, Caldar, have you got what it takes?

- Well I’m not sure exactly what you need us to do but I’ve defeated the champion at the Indigo Plateau three times, defeated the champion at Ever Grande City, and defeated the bosses of three criminal organisations.

WHAT?! Er… I mean yeah, my friend here has just gotten back from.. Hoenn..

If you’re such a hotshot trainer, where are your pokemon?

I reach for my belt but I immediately remember where I left my pokemon.

- They were taken from me and I don’t know where they are now… If you’re really handing out pokemon for us to raise, then please let me at least borrow one! I have an idea where I might find some information about my lost pokemon, but I need a pokemon to get there.

I turn to Barry.

- Sinnu has a pokemon league, right?

Sinnoh, and yes.

I turn back to Rowan.

- I’m sure the person responsible will want to be close to the local pokemon league HQ, maybe in the Hall of Fame.

Hmm, alright then. Dawn, my briefcase, please.

Here.

Rowan opens the briefcase to reveal three pokeballs.

"Champion" Caldar, why don’t you take first pick?

I grab the first pokeball. Barry snatches the next.

I was hoping to get this one!

Oh boy, oh boy!

- Hmm.

Why don’t you get to know your new pokemon? I’ll be at my lab in Sandgem Town, come see me for the next part of my research when you’re done.

Rowan and Dawn walk off to the east.

Hey! Oh wow! Thanks so much! Let’s have a battle!

Meanwhile at Lake Verity…

I’m sure I calibrated this thing properly… I finally get a hit and I can’t pinpoint it…

It seems I underestimated the behaviour of time distortions. Back to the drawing board…

I will find you! You can’t hide forever! Remember my name, Cyrus, you will give me what I want!

Back at Route 201…

Aww man, did I pick the wrong pokemon?

- Don’t worry, with some training it’ll become really strong.

Well a deal’s a deal, let’s get you some new duds!

Sandgem Town

- Are you sure this is the style people wear around here?

Sure it is! At least it’s better than the 80’s rejects you were wearing.

- Well you’re not wrong there I guess…

What’s with that hat? I thought it was your hair!

- Well, thanks for the new clothes, I’m going to look around some more.

I’m going to Lake Verity to catch the legendary pokemon!

- That’s nice… um, they accept PokeDollars here, right?

Sure they do! OH! I need to get some pokeballs! I wonder if the professor will give me some.

Barry rushes out of the store, clearly he didn’t know this place is a pokemart that sells pokeballs too.

I look around for clues that could tell me where exactly I am. I’m probably not in the past, or not any further back than I was in Hoenn at least. Or this region could just have better technology, maybe.

- By Arceus… I'm this far ahead?!

I find a helpful magazine that narrows it down somewhat.

- Published in 2031… and it’s on the new releases shelf…

I buy the magazine along with some pokeballs, put it into my jacket pocket and walk over to the professor’s lab.

Ah, you’re here! Barry was here a moment ago, I gave him some pokeballs and he ran off to Route 202.

- So what’s this research you’re doing?

Oh, well it’s simple, I’d like to see how your pokemon grow in a varied environment. What better way to vary an environment than a pokemon jounrney!

Also, I would like you to record any interesting finds you might see in the wild. There’s always something new to find. So I’m giving you a pokede–

- OH! Uhh, I mean I already have one. The battery’s flat though, could you help me out?

Wow I’ve not seen one of those for years! Aww it’s all beaten up… Well you’re in luck, I’ve got a brand new one here!

- I’d much rather keep this one, if you don’t mind…

Oh.. fine, it should work fine… Let me have a look here…

Rowan opens the back of Dex’s case and has a look at the battery.

Oh dear, no wonder the battery’s flat! It expired 15 years ago!

He walks over to one of his workbenches and opens a drawer from under it, takes out a weird looking nine-volt battery. It’s matte black and has no brand markings on it. Rowan places the battery into the slot and closes Dex’s case.

There, it should last another two years before you’ll need to recharge it. Let’s just switch it on here, and…

WHYYYY!? FOR THE LOVE OF ARCEUS WHY DO I ALMOST DIE EVERY TIME WE MAKE A JUMP!?

- Oh! Uhh.. the talking… I can explain…

Explain what?

- You’re not weirded out by a talking pokedex?

Well it is unusual for this model to talk, I see it’s had a modification.

You didn’t know all pokedexes speak? Here, say hello.

Hey, how’s it goin’?

Who’s this jerk?

Cool it, gramps. I’m surprised this kid would even want a clunky old pocket calculator for his pokedex!

At least I was built to last! You look like you’ll shatter just from falling out of that little girl’s pocket!

Oh yeah? Well what’s 2 + 2?

Screw you!

Right… so Caldar, have you taken a liking to that pokemon?

- He seems to be a real contender!

What is it?

- Have a look.

Turtwig: So.. it’s a turtle with a twig on it’s head?

Pfffahahaha!

Shut up!

- Welcome to the team, Sinclair!

Sinclair ♂ Lv. 6

So what’s your first step going to be, Caldar?

- Barry said something about a legendary pokemon at the lake. I’m going to check it out.

Lake Verity

With all the trees surrounding the lake I can only see a small patch of tall grass and no way to get to the island at the middle of the lake.

Well let’s see who we can catch here, a bidoof? Pokeball go!

Bidoof: It’s.. it’s a… rattata in need of a diet?

- Welcome to the team, Zathras.

Zathras ♂ Lv. 2

With no sign of Barry I decide to head back to Sandgem. On my was I’m stopped by a woman who says she’s Barry’s mother and she asks me to pass on a parcel to him when I next see him.

I remembered the professor said Barry went to route 202 and so I make chase.

Route 202

Another chance to recruit so soon? OK then, a shinx. Pokeball go!

Shinx: An electric cat… dog… thing.

- Welcome to the team, Ivanova!

Ivanova ♀ Lv. 3

- I wonder where the gyms are in Sinnoh…