Pokémon: Midnight Blue

Waking Up

As I washed up on the shore, I had one question on my mind. I was not worried about where I was or how long I had been unconscious. My main concern was how am I still alive?

I distinctly remembered a flash flood that swept me off my feet. I remember treading so much water that everything went black. Beyond that, everything was a mystery to me.

Rain poured down hard as I looked around, hoping to find some sort of clue to tell me where I was. I saw a small town in the distance, and next to me, I noticed a red fish, flopping helplessly and yelping incessantly.

I took a closer look and realized this was no ordinary fish. It was... a Magikarp? Impossible. Magikarp do not exist. They are simply fictional creatures created by a money-grubbing gaming enterprise. Then again, nothing about this place seemed at all familiar. Could this maybe be a dream?

"Young man!" I heard a voice behind me. I turned around to find a tall, black man in a lab coat standing over me. "What are you doing here all by yourself?"

"Well," I responded "I just washed up onto this shore. Could you tell me where exactly I am?"

"You're in the outskirts of Pallet Town. Follow me, you look like you need somewhere to stay."

I began to walk away, and all of a sudden, the Magikarp began flailing restlessly. I eventually picked it up in my arms and followed the man to what he called "Pallet Town". He led me to a laboratory where I saw what looked like Pokéballs stocked high onto the shelves.

"So what's your name, kid?" the man asked me.

"My name?" I looked up. It took me a moment to remember my name, as if I had suffered a slight state of amnesia. "My name," I said, "is Brian. Brian Phoenix."

"It's nice to meet you, Brian. My name is Professor Jackson."

"Professor?"

"Yes. I am currently the leading expert in Pokémon. I usually help new trainers begin their journeys."

"I see."

"That Magikarp seems to be quite attached to you. Is it yours?"

"No. I just found it when I washed up on shore."

"You should try capturing it. It helps to have Pokémon in this part of the world."

"But I have nothing to catch it with."

In response to this, Professor Jackson handed me an empty Pokéball saying, "Use this."

I gently put the Magikarp down and took the Pokéball. I took about ten paces away from the Magikarp and turned to face it. I do not know what came over me, but all of a sudden, my eyes locked on the Magikarp, like I was preparing myself in case it put up some kind of fight. My arm reared back, and as it did, I could feel my blood pumping. I flung the Pokéball at the Magikarp and watched closely as the red beam drew the Magikarp into the capsule. I watched the ball wiggle violently until I heard a pinging sound. A cocky smirk cracked onto my face.