First Contact!

Galen had no idea what had occurred after he left. His destination was to head straight home.

Galen wanted to do a few other things, but he put these on hold until tomorrow. He took the same route he had used to reach the Market before going down the road to his house.

The rain was coming down softly, it was sprinkling today. He used his umbrella and raincoat, which easily deflected the rain.

Galen walked into the house where he saw Gavin sitting on the couch.

"Oh, you're back! How was your day?" Gavin stood up in a flash and appeared before Galen.

"It was good, some people were trying to lowball me for the Thunderstone's price. Unfortunately for them, I'm no herbivore and was able to check him about it."

Galen made up some story, but what really mattered was he was able to sell the Thunderstone.

"Yeah, you have to look out for those people, they'll try to scam somehow. If you don't know the value of something—they could easily lowball you, but who wouldn't know the value of a Thunderstone?"

Gavin sighed in relief knowing that Galen wasn't scammed. This type of scam would be legal if you couldn't recognize the value of your items.

It would be your fault for your lack of knowledge! 

Gwen came in and they sat on the couch and all talked.

"I helped the old shopkeeper and he actually paid me. None of the other children wanted to help, so I just volunteered."

Gavin had volunteered to help the old man move his things to the docks. He loaded the rental car and they drove to the docks. The old man had a lot of things he needed to move, so they made several trips back and forth. 

Galen thought the old man was taking a plane to Alola, but he was taking a cruise ship there.

The docks were located in the area that led to Cinnabar Island. It was that location from the game where a random bush was located. This random bush always housed Tangela, it was south of Prof. Oak's lab. 

Of course, Pallet Town was much bigger here than in the games and anime.

"I came home as soon as I was done when it started to rain heavily. It was worth it because Old Man Thorn paid and gave me a gift."

Gavin laid the money flat on the table with an ecstatic expression. He just wished a job paid like this daily, but he knew no such job existed.

"This money will help for a while, your act of kindness has been rewarded." Gwen patted Gavin on the back. Due to his voluntary help, the old man gave Gavin a pleasant surprise. 

"This is good, but what about the 'gift' he gave you?" Galen wondered.

"Ah, it was some rock. It doesn't look like anything special, but the old man said it was the most valuable item he could give me as a gift."

Gavin recalled the old man's words, he told him not to sell it. He had acquired it in Alola when he was young, but he had never utilized or sold it.

"Can you show me this item?" Galen was curious, how could a rock be worth so much?

"It's in our room, I'll go grab it." Not only he, but Gwen left to the kitchen to grab something for Galen. 

'Could it be a [Hardstone]?' This held item boosted the attacks of rock-type moves by 1.2 times. 

These permanent items did go for a high price, but they were also rare. For permanent items such as these, people usually wouldn't sell them.

If they grew old or just wanted to settle, they would pass these items on to their descendants. 

"Here you go, this is your lunch. I know you're hungry, you haven't eaten in six hours." Gwen handed Galen a sub sandwich and a bottle of Oran berry soda.

Right then, Gavin came in and showed everyone his 'gift'.

Galen saw that it was black and oval-shaped, it was five inches in length and three inches in width. The stone was smooth and gave off the shiny black gleam of obsidian.

Galen couldn't identify what this was, so he could only use his special ability. He could see the aura of it, but it was coming from the interior of this rock.

Sure enough, Galen got his answer.

-𝐎𝐥𝐝 𝐀𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫: A piece of amber that still contains the genetic material of a prehistoric Pokémon. It's clear with a tawny, reddish tint.

"What?!" Galen was so shocked that he couldn't help but blurt out!

"What? What's wrong?" Gwen panicked seeing Galen's reaction. Gavin shivered, was this thing worth a lot?

Galen took a deep breath and explained everything to them. This was a fossil, but it was covered in strange rock. The Pokémon that derived from this fossil was Aerodactyl! This was the hardest fossil to obtain among the three. 

Galen wasn't aware of the market price for fossils, but he knew it was within the six-figure range. 

"If we sell it, we could amass a small fortune!" Gavin's eyes were filled with ₽ signs as he almost drooled at the thought.

"No." Galen shook his head and continued. "Mr. Thorn didn't want you to sell it. One could see that he had given you a rare opportunity with this gift."

Galen, for some reason, felt like this was a test from that old man. On the surface, it looked like a rock, but once the exterior was removed, it would reveal a fossil.

One would look at it and believe it useless, but Galen couldn't be fooled by this. 

"What do you want me to do with it then?" Gavin asked.

'What better use for it than to sell it?' Gavin thought.

"There's a lab on Cinnabar Island that can revive fossils. You will have to take a trip there and revive it. This is a golden opportunity for you to get your first Pokémon."

Galen didn't want his brother to miss out on this opportunity. Aerodactyl would prove to be an amazing Pokémon for him. Not to mention, this Pokémon was extraordinarily fast and could fly.

"Cinnabar Island?" Gwen was stunned.

This Island was Four hours away from Pallet Town. One would need to take a ferry ship, fly there, or use their water Pokémon to aid them there.

"Yes, tomorrow at 2 a.m., we'll go buy some tickets for all of us to travel there." Galen thought about it, this could be a fun little trip.

Both Gwen and Gavin gasped in excitement, they had lived and been in Pallet Town all their lives. So something like this could be considered as a vacation to them.

"Can we really go to Cinnabar Island?" Gwen's eyes flashed with excitement and she asked with reaffirmation. 

Right then, Galen placed Seven thousand Pokédollars before handing them their gifts. He had bought them both a raincoat and an umbrella. 

Gavin looked at the Seven 1,000 Pokédollar banknotes in surprise. He had seen these banknotes from afar, but never this close.

Gwen saw the money and understood, Galen didn't have to say anything. Afterward, her attention converged onto the raincoat and umbrella she had been given.

It was a nice lavender raincoat and umbrella with Espeon on it. As for Gavin's set, he had one with a Flareon which was both red and orange. 

They both loved them, especially Gwen. She couldn't get enough of the raincoat and wanted to wear it around right now. Galen told her it would be raining tomorrow, so she would have plenty of time to wear it. 

'There should be a cruise ship special going on right now. This is where we can get three-round tickets from Pallet to Cinnabar island for Six hundred Pokédollars.'

Usually, it was two hundred fifty per person but with this special, they could pay less. 

Gavin kept talking about how amazing today has been ever since Galen found the Thunderstone.

Galen just listened to him talk as he ate his sub sandwich. Everyone went about their day in making preparations for tomorrow. 

The atmosphere had improved a lot due to the increase in finances. Gavin went to take out the garbage since the garbage man would arrive tomorrow. For this remote location, they would come in a pickup truck to take the garbage away.

"Ahhhh!"

Galen was enjoying his Oran soda—when he heard some yelling from outside. He quickly rose to his feet and ran out back to see what the fuss was about. 

Gavin had a broomstick in his hand next to the garbage can—where he was confronting a Pokemon.

Indeed, he was trying to shoo off a Rattata that had been going through the trash. Gwen appeared behind Galen after hearing the commotion.

"Go, go, leave from here!" Gavin waved the broomstick around and said urgently. 

"EEEK!"

Rattata was not happy being waved off so aggressively like this. It knew exactly what this human was saying to it but it had to eat somehow. 

"Look out!" Gwen said with a panicky expression. Rattata darted and jumped at Gavin to harm him with its sharp teeth.

Despite how fast Rattata was, Gavin was surprisingly faster. He swung that broomstick with precision and power before as it was smashed over Rattata's head.

Afterward, it was easily sent flying before smashing into the garbage can. Perhaps Gavin was running on pure adrenaline despite his fear.

One could see that his reflexes and reaction time had increased drastically. 

"EEEEEK!" Rattata cried out in pain.

Galen thought quickly, this strike wouldn't keep it down for sure. If so, it may leave and bring over some helpers next time. After all, when there was one Rattata, there were hundreds more to follow.

Galen took out a Pokéball before pressing the button in the center. The Pokéball enlarged and he quickly threw it at Rattata like a baseball.

The Pokéball smashed over Rattata's little head before it was sucked into the Pokéball. Gwen and Gavin were stunned as they watched the shocking scene.

The Pokéball began to shake back and forth slowly, one shake... two shakes... and finally, the third shake!

Rattata had been captured!

Everyone was silent for a while, just like Gavin, Galen was high on adrenaline. They were stunned to see Galen pull out a Pokéball, something that wasn't sold here in Pallet! 

Galen's expression didn't look so good either, in that small chaotic moment, he understood the urgency of getting a Pokémon.

"Y-You caught it?" Gwen said with a shaky voice.

"It... would appear so." Galen slowly walked over to the location where Rattata once lay.

After picking up the Pokéball, Galen turned to Gavin and asked if he was okay. Gavin nodded but his hands were visually shaking.

Afterward, the trio quickly retreated into the house. They sat on the couch and there was a moment of silence.

"Gwen, go bring some food over, it can be meat or berries," Galen requested. 

Gwen nodded before quickly leaving for the kitchen to grab something. She came back with some packaged dried meat. 

"Alright, I'm going to release Rattata from its Pokéball. So if you're too scared, then you can go to the next room and await the news."

Gwen had a feeling that Galen was going to do this, but hearing it from his mouth was so much different. 

Gwen stood up and left the living room and waited in the kitchen. 

"I'll stay, I already fought it so I shouldn't run away now," Gavin said, taking a deep breath.

"Alright." Galen was indeed fearful himself, but if he wanted to be a trainer he couldn't be scared.

"Come out, Rattata!" Galen gently tossed the Pokéball onto the living room table. 

Rattata appeared and stood on its fours, and as for its size, it was bigger than the standard Brown Rat.

Rattata looked between Galen and Gavin before its eyes stuck to Gavin. This was the guy who had defeated it.

Galen inspected the little fella.

_____

<Name: Rattata♀< p>

<Type: Normal< p>

<Level: 2< p>

<Nature: Bold< p>

<Aptitude: F< p>

<Ability: Guts< p>

<Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, < p>

_____

At this moment, Galen finally understood what the lowest aptitude was. There was no way it could get any lower than F-grade, right?

Galen gave the Rattata some dry meat and it humbly accepted it. 

'It seems that it has been pacified after being caught.' Galen rubbed his chin, as he watched Rattata eat the dried meat.