Pokemon Special: Protector's Code

Chapter One

Professor Oak sank his head into his hands as he reviewed the photographs spread across his desk. New Pokémon had appeared and his most dependable pokédex holder, Crystal had only recently completed her pokédex. It pained him, but he really couldn’t make her go out again so soon into her long-deserved break to collect data for him. He’d asked his fellow colleague, Professor Birch from the Hoenn region, to distribute the three pokédex to three trainers he personally deemed “worthy”. For the time being, that would get his research going into a slow crawl. However, a lot of these Pokémon were appearing in the Johto region as well now.

With spare parts left over from the three pokédex for his Johto trainers, he’d managed to make a fourth, but it lay useless and neglected with no trainer for it to register to. Professor Oak had tried to do the fieldwork for himself, but the years had caught up without him noticing, and he just wasn’t the same notorious trainer he used to be.

Oak groaned loudly and thumped his head against his desk. Ouch. That had hurt a lot more than he’d expected.

“What’s the matter, Professor?” a voice startled him into a straightened seating position. Beside him stood his most reliable dex-holder, Crystal, with her head cocked to one side, looking down on him in concern. Her dark hair had a bluish-hue to it and was evenly spread into two twin tails. She wore a white lab coat over an orange top and a yellow skirt, but he knew that the coat and the skirt were only disguises to her field outfit underneath.

“Professor?” she repeated, snapping him again out of his thoughts.

“It’s nothing, Chris. Nothing to worry about,” he sighed, desperately avoiding the anxious emotion reflected from her pale, blue eyes.

“Are you certain?” she asked, her voice soft and coaxing.

“It’s just my research,” he groaned, unable to avoid the understanding and motherly aura that she seemed to emit. “New Pokémon have been sighted across both Kanto and Johto that have only ever been seen in Hoenn. I’d like to send one of my pokédex holders out to gather data for me, but none of them will have a bar of it, or they’ll at least take forever.”

“Oh, that’s simple,” said Crystal, her eyes lighting up. “I’ll just go out again.”

“No, stop,” commanded Oak as she turned away to throw off her lab coat. “You’re on your break, so I can’t let you. I’ve made a new pokédex, but I really can’t find anyone good enough for it. I can’t seem to find enough potential in the trainers these days.”

He sighed, remembering that Red, Blue, Yellow and Crystal were the only real trainers he’d entrusted the pokédex to.  The others had either stolen them from him or had conned him into giving it up. That really didn’t say much good for this generation of trainers.

“I see,” Crystal said thoughtfully. There was a moment’s silence then she snapped her finger in victory. “I have an idea Professor. I know a good person for the job!”

“Really?” the comment took him surprise, enough to brighten his aged face and to let hope spread throughout his features.

“Yes,” she responded with a smile. “I have a twin sister. She’s very professional and encounters numerous Pokémon daily. She doesn’t have to go out looking for Pokémon, as they’re generally attracted to her. So collecting data for you won’t be out of her way.”

“Really,” the Professor repeated with amazement. This girl sounded perfect; another trainer with the same attitude as Crystal, how could he not be interested? “Tell me more about her.”

Crystal’s grin broadened at the eagerness in his voice. “Her name is Amber and we used to train together before we set out on our separate journeys. I haven’t seen her in a while, but I have no doubt that she’ll be willing to help if you ask her. She also has a very unique and special ability that you look for in trainers.”

Better and better, thought Professor Oak and he nodded along. All his chosen trainers, despite their many shortcomings, each had a gift that separated them from normal trainers. Crystal specialized in catching Pokémon, Red specialized in battling Pokémon, and his beloved grandson, Blue, specialized in training Pokémon.

“She’s a Pokémon “Protector”,” continued Crystal. “She protects Pokémon and humans from aggressive Pokémon, and Pokémon from abusive trainers. Because of this, she emits alpha-like waves that allow both people and Pokémon to trust her with their safety, even if they don’t really know her. And because of her job, she undoubtedly meets a lot of Pokémon. Additionally, I can vouch for her 100% proficiency, so there’s no need to worry that she wouldn’t get the job done!”

As continued to speak of her sister’s greatness, clearly proud of her, Professor Oak slowly tuned out. He couldn’t believe that such a trainer was out there. After Gold and Silver, he’d believed that finding more than one trainer of great potential would be difficult in the same generation. Anything more than one would be nothing short of a miracle. After all, the finding of Yellow was most definitely a miracle. Maybe, just maybe this was the breakthrough he’d been wishing for…

But then he came to a realization that dimmed all his yearnings.

“What’s wrong,” asked Crystal, breaking her campaigning when she’d noticed the sudden change in his facial features.

“I don’t have a starter Pokémon for her,” he sighed. “With the exception of Yellow, all my pokédex holders have had a Pokémon that I’ve entrusted to them along with the pokédex. And Yellow is a very easygoing character. I doubt Amber will be the same sort…”

“No, she isn’t,” confirmed Crystal thoughtfully. “But I don’t think it would matter. After all, she’s like me. She probably already has a full team of Pokémon. I would never have accepted Mega if you gave her to me. I only did because she passed my test. So I don’t think you’ll have to worry about that.”

“Is that so,” said Oak. He breathed a sigh of relief, but still in the back of his mind, the thought lingered. “Then I’ll just prepare the new pokédex and send someone to find her.”

“Would you like me to go?” she asked, peering over his shoulder as he swept his desk free of the photographs and pulling the new pokédex from his drawers. The pokédex was identical to the ones the Johto trio had. His thought had been to make the Johto trio a quad.

“No, no,” replied Oak, shocked that she’d even made the suggestion. “I’ll send Gold and Silver to look for her. Those two are the only ones with nothing better to do.”

“I get that Red and Blue are training and that Yellow is spending the weekend with her uncle, but what about Green?” frowned Crystal.

“Ehm...” muttered Oak. “Well, she’s always been a hard one to deal with…”

“I see,” she laughed in understanding. “Well, I don’t know where Amber is, so I can’t clue you on that, but it shouldn’t be hard to notice her. After all, she looks pretty much exactly like me!”