Vaniville Town

I wake up without a pounding headache this time. My eyes hurt a little from the bright flash I saw before arriving. I also appear to be standing upright and my feet firmly planted on the ground this time. A small paved footpath cutting through a grass patch in front of someone’s house.

To my left I see a small house in the yard, probably for that pet rhyhorn staring at me.

- Uh-oh.

Roaaaah!

I slowly start backing away towards the street.

- Easy now…

The rhyhorn bounds towards me, building up speed. I quickly dive behind the brick wall dividing the yard from the street. Rhyhorn smashes through the wall post, scattering bricks across the street. It continues to stampede into the yard of another house across the road, smash through the corner of the house and bound off over the hills beyond.

Before it gets out of view I notice it trying to turn it’s head to look back at me. They say once rhyhorns start stampeding they won’t stop for anything and can only run in a straight line but I have a suspicion they just have a continentally big turning circle.

Looking at the smashed wall post I notice it had a mailbox set in it, it’s contents spilled onto the road with all the smashed bricks. Amongst the rubble I find a newspaper from the Lumiose Press. It’s common knowledge that Lumiose City is the capital of Kalos.

- So I’m in Kalos? This is the closest I’ve been to home in so long!

I look again at the newspaper, it’s dated 2026.

- Geographically speaking, I guess.

Route 1

I decided it’d be best if I made my way to a port or something. If my reason for being brought here isn’t evident I’ll try to go home the old fashioned way. Hopefully my family won’t be too upset if I’m a few decades late.

I see two girls approaching from the other end of the road. They look friendly enough, maybe I’ll ask for directions.

Oh, oh! I think that’s him!

- ?

Excuse us but might you be Caldar?

- I.. um… who want’s to know?

Oh I’m sorry, how rude of us! This is Shauna-

Hai!

-and I’m Serena. We and two others are students of Professor Sycamore. We were about to start our journey together when we were asked to collect another trainer who wanted to come with us.

- Right…

The student of a foreign professor, Professor Oak. That’s you, right? The student, I mean.

So he still thinks of me as a student after all this time.

- Yes, I’m Caldar.

Great! C’mon, let’s go meet the others!

Aquacorde Town

Serena and Shauna lead me to a café. Two boys approach us.

Hey, you found him? Hi, I’m Tierno and this is Trevor!

Hello.

Please tell me you didn’t forget it, Tierno.

No I have it here. You get to pick one, Caldar!

Tierno hands me a box containing three pokéballs. Rolling a dice in my head turns a 6 so I choose the one labelled Fennekin.

- Welcome to the team, Gwyn!

Gwyn ♂ Lv. 5

Oh you chose Fennekin? I picked Chespin, Serena chose Froakie.

I also brought the pokédexes!

Tierno hands out some fancy devices that look like they’re just tiny panes of glass with no buttons. He goes to hand one to me.

- Oh, I already have one.

I take Dex from my pocket, his screen is blank with a small crack in one corner. The corners of his case have been worn down, the colour faded. A strip of duct tape on the back, covering a large crack, is starting to peel back at the edges and collecting little bits of pocket lint.

Don’t you want a new one? That one looks older than the rest of us combined!

- It just needs charging…

Try this, it’s a solar charger.

It looks like a solar panel with one of those universal power adapters, I plug it into Dex’s charger slot.

AAAGH! BY ARCEUS I’LL NEVER GET USED TO THAT!

Interesting, I didn’t think the personality upgrade worked on such an old model. Don’t you know that modding it in such a way voids the warranty?

I think this relic is way past it’s warranty by now.

Oh, I found the personality option!

Great… another smartass gadget that’ll break the first time it’s trainer trips over something. I’d think twice with the comments thank you very much, last guy to crack wise ended up in 3821 pieces and you look even more fragile than he did!

Let’s just get a move on.

Oh there was one more thing, Professor Oak left you a letter, Caldar.

- Oh, thanks. You guys go on ahead. I’ll catch up.

I open the letter.

- “Dear Caldar, I hope this letter finds you well. I’m sorry for dragging you here so soon after your win at the Indigo Plateau-” Wait what?

Keep reading!

- “It’s too complicated to explain here, I’ll have to save that for my dissertation. Just please trust me that I need your help here. I suggest you get some appropriate attire so you can blend in with the culture of the time here. Gather the eight badges and meet me at the pokémon league. In the meantime I’ll finish construction of the next time machine to ensure our trip home. Your friend, Professor Samuel Oak.”

While pondering the letter I buy new clothes from a nearby shop and then head onwards to catch up with the others.

Route 2

On my way to catch up I can’t help but take the opportunity to recruit. A scatterbug, pokéball go!

Scatterbug: Um… it’s a caterpie with a poor diet?

- Welcome to the team, Dusk!

Dusk ♀ Lv. 3

Santalune Forest

Caldar! I’m glad you made it. Imma try and catch a pikachu!

- That’s nice…

Walking through the forest I see Tierno battling some youngster while Trevor is idly walking while browsing his pokédex. I take this time to recruit again. A panpour, pokéball go!

Panpour: It’s like that fire monkey only with water instead.

- Welcome to the team, Petrus!

Petrus ♂ Lv. 4

Oh you caught a water type? That’d go well in your team with a fire type! Diversity is always a good strategy.

As we near the exit Shauna looks a little disappointed, evidently she didn’t find a pikachu. Trevor is still browsing his pokédex while Tierno is skipping along.

Route 3

Santalune City is just ahead!

Another chance to recruit. A fletchling, pokéball go!

Fletchling: Another tiny bird, at least this one sounds more chirpy that the others.

- Welcome to the team, Solaire!

Solaire ♂ Lv. 5

A couple of schoolchildren challenge me to battles, the experience was enough for Dusk to evolve!

Dusk ♀ Lv. 9

Almost there!

This city has a gym, right?

Meanwhile; not far from here.

After all this waiting. I’m finally here.