Chapter Text
*In yet another cold, autumn morning, Gold awakens in his bedroom, as he cumbersomely unweaves himself from the blankets he’d twisted himself in throughout the night. If it wasn’t for the bolstering sound of thunder, echoing throughout the air, he probably would have overslept, like most other days this week.*
Gold, thinking to himself: Ugh…still storming out there, is it? Feels like every day’s just been one storm after another, lately…still, wasn’t there something I was supposed to…OH! Yeah, that’s right!!
*Gold, with an important lightbulb in his head having blinked on, jumps out of bed, and practically skates down the stairs of his house, down to the kitchen, as he quickly grabs some Go-gurt before heading straight for the front door.*
Gold’s mother, looking shocked: Gold, I know you’ve been excited for this day to come, but…it’s pouring outside today! Shouldn’t you just wait until-
Gold, rolling his eyes: Mom, it’s been raining for like a week straight, hasn’t it? I’ll be fine, don’t worry!!
Gold’s mom, sighing: Well, I suppose Professor Elm’s lab is just next door, but still…be careful, you hear?! I don’t want you coming back with a cold now!
*Gold waves off his mom’s concerns, before exiting the house, and grabbing his skateboard that he had hung against the side of the house, and skates all the way over to Professor Elm’s place. Upon entering the main lobby, Professor Elm locked eyes with the boy, as he gave him a big smile.*
Professor Elm: Ah, up and at ‘em early today, eh Gold?
Gold, nodding: Well, yeah, of course! What better way to spend your twelfth birthday than to finally get your starter Pokemon, am I right?!
Professor Elm, in agreement: Most certainly! Well then, of Johto’s three signature starti-
Gold, instantly pointing at the Cyndaquil on the middle of the table: Him. I want him. Cyndaquil evolves into Typhlosion, and they’re the coolest, extremist Pokemon out there, in my books!
Professor Elm, chuckling: Geez, and here I thought you didn’t read books, Gold! Hahaha…
Gold, shaking his head: Nah…that’s my sister, Crystal’s thing. I don’t have time for that stuff now though…I have a Champion to boot out of the Indigo League…and you’re gonna help me do it, Cyndaquil!!
Cyndaquil, putting his arms in the air, in celebration: Cynd, Cyndaquil!!
*After Professor Elm hands Gold Cyndaquil’s Poke Ball, before then giving the boy a Pokedex and his Trainer License, he heads out to the wet and gloomy wilderness of Johto, just to the west of his small town. Finally on his journey proper, Gold quickly calls Cyndaquil back into his Poke Ball, after Cyndaquil quickly clings to Gold’s leg, in an attempt to evade the raindrops all around him.*
Gold, with a smile: Don’t worry little guy, I won’t make you walk through all that. I won’t call you out until we have to battle someone…although, from the looks of things, we probably won’t need to worry about that today, huh? Still…those Gym Badges won’t earn themselves, so…off to Violet City we go!! Yeah!!!
*As Gold skateboards away from Professor Elm’s lab in a hurry, a red-haired boy had been stalking said Professor throughout Gold’s whole visit, unbeknownst to the pair.*
Silver, with his teeth gnashed, glaring through the window: I’m watching you, Professor! You think you can just hand out Pokemon to any old clown, like Gold over there?! Please…I’ll take those other two for myself…and prove just how weak he is…not just Gold…but Team Rocket, too!! All I’ve gotta do now is have Sneasel here clip the electrical wires for me! Ready, Sneasel?
Sneasel, nodding eagerly: Snea, Snea…SEL!!
*As Sneasel easily Cuts his claws through the exposed electrical wires at the side of the Professor’s lab, the lights instantly go out, as Elm, Chikorita, and Totodile’s eyes start blinking, in confusion.*
Professor Elm, in an over-exaggerated tone: Eeegads, the lights!! I KNEW I should have bought one of those industrial grade generators!!
Silver, nodding to Sneasel: Great! Now with the wires having been cut, that stupid Professor will think that the storm took out the electricity…and I can grab those other two Pokemon, before he can even realizes what happened! Follow me, Sneasel!
Sneasel, sounding excited: Snea!!
*The pair enter the room in a cartoonish fashion, as their pair of eyes stumble around the pitch-black lab, until they stumble upon a pair of eyes looking back at them. As Silver tries to silently grab both Pokemon in his arms, however, he seeming ran into…a translucent wall?! Looking up, he sees the Chikorita, having erected a Reflect barrier to separate himself and Totodile from the thief, as Totodile pulls down his one eyelid at the boy, and Chikorita blows her tongue at the boy, instead.*
Silver, growling: Why you little-
Professor Elm, nearby, gasping: Who the hell was that!? Anyway…I really should focus on finding a flashlight…I think I had one over here somewhere…
Silver, whispering into Sneasel’s ear: Damnit…we can’t chance it. We gotta get out of here…now.
Sneasel, in a low sigh: Snea…
***
*In the back alleys of a New Bark Town suburban intersection, Silver trudges his way back to the abandoned farmhouse that he had turned into a secret base of sorts, for himself, as another boy, with dark black hair, dressed in an equally-black jacket, stares down at him, while resting against a ledge on the second story of the rotting interior.*
Black-haired boy, sounding anxious: …Well?! Did you get the ‘goods’, or what?
Silver, scowling at the boy: Of course not, Zane…something always has to go wrong, when I go out on heists, and today…was no exception. Even worse, though? I saw that loser, Gold…and he got himself a Pokemon from the Professor today, right before I put my plan into action.
Zane, looking surprised: Shoot, today was his twelfth birthday?! Dang…how could we have forgotten? We could have snuck up and mugged him on his way over there!
Silver, shaking his head: Well, good luck doing that now…as Sneasel and I saw him skating away to Violet City, on the way over here…in the middle of a storm no less, like the dork he is.
Zane, smirking: Please…you underestimate my Porygon’s potential, Silver! Watch…as I have Porygon here…Convert himself into a skateboard too! In fact, this high-tech creature can copy any device, and change into a superior form of it! Like…presto!!
*Silver watches in amazement, as Porygon instantly Converts itself into a jetski of sorts, as Zane poses next to it.*
Silver, looking genuinely impressed: Wow…that Pokemon you stole from the lab puts even those dinky starters I was after to shame. But…if it can copy any sort of device…haven’t you tried turning it into an ATM yet?
Zane, scratching the back of his head, nervously: H-hey, every piece of technology has its limits, you know! That said, if I could get my hands on an Upgrade, and I could upgrade its firmware…
Silver, closing his eyes: Help me take down Team Rocket, and I’m sure we’ll be able to find a copy of the beta you can use to upgrade that Porygon’s specs. But for now-
Zane, nodding, as he hops aboard his sentient jetski: -Yeah, I know. Start off small, before we take on the big fish. But fish don’t get smaller…than that wanna-be cool guy Gold! That guy’s gonna be cooked, when Porygon and I are done with him! Let’s go, Porygon!!
*As Zane has Porygon fire up its jets to boost Zane out of the barn in record time, he ends up leaving Silver in the dust…literally, as he’s left coughing up the smoke from Porygon’s exhaust, in his wake.*
Silver, scowling, amongst his coughing fit: …Damn you…Zane…! It was supposed to be me who puts Gold in his place, not you!!