Chapter Text
*In a small town called Twinleaf, in a nearby region of Japan called Sinnoh, a young man named Lucas watches the end of what looked like a recap of a pretty important-looking Pokemon battling tournament on TV with his best friend, Barry.*
Mr. Pokemon, speaking into a camera: Well…in all my years of presiding over the Pokemon League, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Conference end like this. In the end, after achieving victory over the toughest of opponents in the Indigo League, our victor simply…walked away from her title? Truly, these are unprecedented times…but did you see those Shiny Pokemon she battled with?! To think that one person could be so lucky, in finding so many Shiny Pokemon! Let’s go back, and look at some clips of them in action!
Barry, shaking his head in disbelief at the replayed footage of Red Ravine that started rolling: Dude…have you ever seen a cooler looking Gyarados?! I want a cool-looking Pokemon like that too!
Lucas, nodding: That IS a cool Pokemon…but I’m more worried about what was going on with her after the battle. Like…why’d she run off like that?
Barry, shrugging: I dunno…but girls are weird! You know how it is, right?
Lucas, shaking his head: I guess…but she did have really cool Pokemon, at least. I wonder just how rare Pokemon like that are, anyway…
Barry, shaking his head: I dunno! But hey, you know that old Professor guy, up in Sandgem Town? Maybe HE knows something about the weirdly-colored-Pokemon phenomenon!
Lucas, deciding to play along with Barry’s sudden new obsession, in hopes of forgetting about seeing the Champion girl crying her way off the stage entirely: Er…yeah. Think we should go ask him?
Barry, nodding: I mean, he IS the local Pokemon expert around here, right? I doubt he’d mind tellin’ us what he knows!
Lucas, scratching his head: Are you sure? From what I’ve heard about the guy, he can be more than a bit intense…
Barry, getting up off the floor: Lucas, please…you worry too much! Heck, how about I race you over there, while we’re at it?
Lucas, sighing: Another race? What is it with you, and races all the time?
Barry, grinning: Well, why be somewhere tomorrow when you can be there today instead?! See you in Rowan’s lab, Lucas!!
Lucas, stumbling to try and keep up with his friend’s sudden dart out of his house: W-Wait!! You didn’t even count to three this time!!
*As Barry starts barreling his way through Route 201, he ends up running head-on into another poor trainer, as they both fall to the ground, and rub their heads.*
Barry, after rubbing his eyes a bit: Yeesh, sorry about that…when I start running, I don’t really- woah…
*The young girl, also rubbing her eyes, looks upwards to see who had run into her, before realizing that she had fallen…in a pretty compromising position, considering she had been wearing what was quite a tiny miniskirt.*
???: Who even…wait…gah!! D-don’t you dare look at me until I get back up, you perv!
Barry, getting up, all in a panic: W-wait!! I didn’t mean to- I mean, your undies, they were just like…unavoidable, and-
*The girl walks up to him and gives him a big slap in the face, before heading out past him, as Lucas, finally catching up, snickers at the scene.*
Lucas: Dude, what just happened there? That chick…did she just go up and smack you?!
Barry, rubbing his cheek, which still had the shape of the girl’s hand imprinted into it: Yeah, yeah. Guess that’s what I get for tryin’ to be first, eh? Let’s just…make the rest of the way to Sandgem Town together, yeah?
Lucas, chuckling: You just want my protection if more chicks decide to go up and slap you some more, huh? Talk about a problem most guys would kill to have! But hey, we’re nearly there now anyway, right? After we stop in, maybe we can grab a bite to eat, before heading back to Twinleaf.
*The pair arrive at Professor Rowan’s Lab, where they notice a group of scientists, who seem completely enamored by…something, in a back room.*
Scientist: Incredible…! Their coat, it just…shines!!
Barry, looking alarmed: Wait…it…shines?! I’ve gotta see that too!!
Lucas, trying to burst ahead of Barry: …Barry, don’t go making a scene in here! Isn’t the guy who runs this lab, like…this Region’s Pokemon Professor?!
*The pair push away a couple of scientists, as they both stare in awe at the sparkly Turtwig, Chimchar and Piplup standing around in a small observational area.*
Professor Rowan, clearing his throat: Excuse me, young men! It is quite impolite to be pushing people around, you know! Do young people these days truly have no manners?!
Lucas, smiling embarrassingly: Oh, sorry! You see, we-
Barry, putting his face all up on the glass encasing: -We wanted to learn more about Shiny Pokemon, is all!
Professor Rowan, shaking his head: Graceous, my granddaughter must have already started blabbing about these new Pokemon that arrived at the lab today, eh? Well, if the Skitty’s already out of the bag…yes. The newest batch of arrivals at my lab…turned out to have recessive genes that seem to cause their coats to sparkle. Anyway, seeing as this is quite the statistical anomaly here, I’ve decided that it’d be best to keep them here for further research.
Barry, looking absolutely heartbroken: Wait…you’re just gonna…keep them?! But…aren’t you the guy that hands out Pokemon to any old kid that comes in asking? These Pokemon will need homes too, you know!
Professor Rowan, remaining outspoken: Yes, and that’s why they will be staying here, in this lab, with us. Pokemon like them don’t appear too often, after all!
Lucas, grabbing Barry’s shoulder: Well, I think what my friend here is trying to say is…you can’t just let these Pokemon spend their days in a lab here, you know! I mean…what will their colorations look like upon evolving? These Pokemon will never evolve just from…sitting in a lab all day! But if a Trainer were to say…battle with them a bunch…then maybe…maybe people will get to see what their Shiny forms look like! That’d be a win for both the Trainer, AND the scientific community, right?
Scientist, rubbing her chin: Well…the boy DOES make a good point, you have to admit. What do you say, Professor?
Professor Rowan, upon closing his eyes for about ten seconds: …Fine. I will let you boys each take one of these three Pokemon, of your own choosing. However, only on two conditions. One…I want you both to take on the Pokemon Gym Challenge. That way, you’ll be able to actually have these Pokemon here evolve. And two? You both will take a Pokedex, and use it to record the stages and data of these unique Pokemon for me. Well?
Barry, putting his fist up in acceptance: Are you kidding?! Of course we’ll do it!! Right, Lucas?!
Lucas, chuckling: Haha, of course! Thank you, Professor!!
Professor Rowan, nodding, as he hands both boys a Poke Ball, along with a Pokedex: Indeed. Well, if you two manage to find any more Shiny Pokemon throughout your journeys, please, be sure to update me through your Pokedexes as soon as possible! My grandaughter, Dawn, who I’m guessing you two ran into on the way here, told me to ‘leave all the data to her’, when I told her that she, too, was allowed to get her own Pokedex. Alas, I doubt that any one Trainer could manage to go and fully document all of Sinnoh’s Pokemon on their own. That…is why I wish to enlist the help of even more promising young Trainers. Together…I wish to be able to fill out a Pokedex that’s just as bountiful as the ones from other parts of the world, for our own, humble Sinnoh region.
Barry, looking stoked, as he uses his newly-gotten Poke Ball to capture the Shiny Chimchar from within the enclosure: Hey, just count on us! We’ll help document and chronicle every single Pokemon out there, Shiny OR otherwise! Come on, Lucas! Let’s get out there, and win ourselves some Badges, like proper Trainers!
Lucas, nodding, as he has his Poke Ball absorb the Shiny Turtwig inside: Sounds great to me! Say, Professor? What Gym do you think we should tackle first?
Professor Rowan: Well, Roark is, as I’ve heard the kids say, ‘easy as dirt’. He is, also, admittedly, the most local of Gym Leaders, as well. Perhaps it would be best to start your journey with him, perhaps?
Barry, nodding: Hey, he’s the guy over in Oreburgh, right? We know where that is! Wanna change plans, and eat once we get there, instead?! I’ll race ya!
Lucas, smiling, and rolling his eyes: Honestly? I wouldn’t expect any different, knowing you…