DPA: Rivals

Chapter 2: There Were Pokémon

Daryon stood silently, confused, seeing nothing but ruins, broken statues of a Pokémon he had never seen before. The walls were covered in a strange writing, each letter-if they even were letters-unlike anything he had ever seen before, all of them with what appeared to be giant eyes incorporated into their design. A thick fog made it impossible to see more than a few feet ahead of him.

Suddenly, a thud from behind forced Daryon to turn around. At that moment, he was gazing directly into the face of the biggest, most frightening Pokémon -he wasn't even sure it was a Pokémon -he had ever seen. The white beast had a glowing ring of gold around its waist, and its many eyes stared off into the distance, at a point far beyond what Daryon himself could see.

"Be careful Master-In-Training," said a voice. The voice seemed to emanate from the mysterious Pokémon , but that was obviously impossible, as Pokémon could not talk. And yet, there wasn't anyone else around. The voice continued. "The road you are about to take will be long, difficult, often heart-breaking. Find people with heart, and stick together. You are always stronger together, Daryon. Do you understand me?"

"I think I-" Daryon began to speak.

"DARYON!"

Daryon sat up on his bed, startled. It was all a dream. He winced, not expecting the bright sunlight that stung his eyes.

"Daryon, w-w-we overs-le-ept!" Cameron frantically cried out, changing into his signature black outfit. "We got to get ready!"

"Oh Spritzee!" Daryon snapped into focus, rolling off the bed and hurriedly taking off his pajamas. "What time is it?" Daryon asked, struggling to put on his shirt.

"It's NOON!" Cameron shouted, putting on his glasses.

The two rushed out of the house, past a groggy-looking Teresa, without a word, bolting down the road towards the Professor's house. Daryon, continuing to button his shirt even as he was running, tried to remember what he was dreaming about, but the memory of it had already faded, and was gone.

He didn't have time to dwell on it, though, as he approached the laboratory of Professor Samuel Oak. The grizzled old man was waiting outside, watering the flowers that adorned the front of the lab.

"Professor!" Daryon wheezed, trying to catch his breath as he and Cameron came to a stop. "We...were...a little late..." Daryon muttered between heavy panting.

"You don't say?" the elderly Oak quipped.

"Y-y-you still have P-Pokémon , right, sir?" Cameron asked, wiping the sweat from his brow.

Oak paused for a moment, making both boys nervous, before smiling. "You're in luck, I have two left." He reached into his pocket, digging around for a bit, before removing two Pokéballs. Clicking the mechanisms on these devices, both Pokéballs opened, releasing mounds of white energy, which quickly materialized into the shapes of two Pokémon .

The friends gaped in amazement at the Pocket Monsters before them. Oak chuckled. "Daryon, I've saved for you the Pokémon that you yammer about every time you've ever visited my lab. Take a look at your very own-"

"Pikachu!!!" Daryon screamed in delight, sweeping the little electric rodent off of the ground and holding it in its arms. The Pikachu, who had been hesitant for a moment, seemed to enjoy the energetic, affectionate Daryon, and let out a little cry of happiness.

Oak, shaking his head in mild annoyance, turned his attention to the other 10 year old. "Cameron, as someone who was born in Hoenn, you might recognize this Pokemon."

"Yes!" Cameron said, beaming with curiosity and wonder. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is Mudkip, the Mud Fish Pokémon , a Water type that about 20 years ago was the standard starter Pokemon for new trainers in Hoenn."

"You've done your homework," Oak said at the brighter, more reserved of the two youngsters. The Professor placed the blue, amphibian Pokémon's Pokéball into Cameron's hand. Cameron, kneeling down, reached out his hand to his new partner.

Mudkip looked at Cameron's hand, then to Cameron, then to Oak, and finally back at Cameron, before placing its front foot in Cameron's hand, as a sign of friendship. Cameron smiled. The Mudkip smiled back.

"Of course, during your schooling you learned about the nature of Pokéballs," Oak said. "The newer trainers these days tend to keep their first Pokémon outside of their Pokéballs, and I'm sure you two will follow that trend, but you obviously can't have all your Pokemon walking around at all times, or everything would become more chaotic than a Tauros in a Pokédoll Shop.

Oak handed each of the boys five empty Pokéballs, as well as a small rectangular device. "This, as you two know, is a Pokédex. Inside those little devices are some basic information on every Pokémon ever recorded. As trainers you are responsible for continuing to add data to each Pokémon's entry as you catch them. Will you be careful and studious as you encounter Pokémon of all kinds in the vast Pokémon world?"

"Yes, sir!" Daryon said firmly, even giving a salute.

"O-of course," Cameron responded, understanding, maybe more so than Daryon, the responsibility of the situation.

"Then with that I send you off as Pokemon trainers.  Catch Pokémon , make new friends, battle other trainers, and always strive to be the very best, like no one ever was."

"I will!" Both boys replied in unison.

"Good. By the way, could you do me a favor?"