Act II: Chapter 1

Hello everyone,

Reminder of pokemon and names:

Hashi - Hariyama.

Minato - Hypno.

Madara - Growlithe.

Shika - Absol.

Asuma - Teddiursa

??? - Gyarados

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Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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'My office. Got something to show you.'

I sent back a quick confirmation before unwrapping the tape around my wrist. Hitting the heavy bag was something I hadn't done in a while, and it was therapeutic. The rest of my team was also training.

Most were trying to include ice into their moveset. Minato had the most success, as he always did with manipulating his energy. Right behind him was Shika, who already had the Ice Fang down pat. Hashi was very close to getting Ice Punch perfected, but was missing something. I suspected he would figure it out in a few days.

Most of his time was spent with the small teddiursa that clung to his leg constantly. I had only had success in playing with the small bear a few times so far. It seemed that Hashi had become it's temporary mother. So he did it like he would if it was a makuhita, he beat it around and taught it to fight. Although he did it in a way that wasn't just showing the bear movements. He roughhoused, and manipulated Asuma into moving a certain way.

Then he would reinforce that movement with another bout of roughhousing. It was a phenomenal way of teaching young pokemon how to properly fight. I had next to no involvement in it, and already Asuma had discovered Fury Swipes on his own. It was a nice addition to his rather small repertoire.

"I'll be back." I told everyone as I started walking towards the door.

I passed by Madara on my way, just as he let out a fairly good attempt of a Flamethrower. It lasted only a second or two, and didn't reach very far but it was a really good start. I passed through the door and into the hallways of the gym. My feet traversed the familiar floors quickly and soon enough I was at his door.

I didn't get to knock, because he opened it just as I arrived.

"Just had something delivered from Alola. You won't believe it." Brody said as he walked to the elevator that would lead us down into his personal training area.

"Rare occasion you buy pokemon." I said, deducing how he got it. It was true too. Brody liked to do things the hard way. If he actually bought a pokemon, it must have been too good to pass up. My mind trailed to the fighting type pokemon found in the region. I really couldn't think of anything. Mainly because I didn't play those games, just peaked at new pokemon and what the plot was about.

Wasn't that when Ultra Beasts were introduced? I prepared myself for some crazy events for the next few hours. I knew better than to test Arceus anymore.

The elevator opened and I stepped out into the cavern.

My eyes found the yellow form of my hypno floating in the air in the meditative position. Three massive boulders floated around him slowly. His fur was drenched with sweat.

Junior floated beside him with seven massive boulders, completely calm and acting like it was child's play. I couldn't help but let my pride swell as I saw the improvement my pokemon had made since the last time they had played this game. Minato was becoming a very strong psychic, and pokemon in general.

I continued to watch him sweat, but the rocks didn't falter in the air. He took gulps of air, pushing his body. He was pushing himself to the limit.

My father stopped, and I almost ran into him. He wasted no time in pushing the release button on the pokeball in front of him.

I should have expected what came out, but I never took my father as the type to train this particular pokemon. It was a quadruped that I couldn't help but think looked a little like a dinosaur. The lower half of its body was black, and the upper was light-grey. It had a snout on it with teeth that were young but promised pain. It's claws were yellow, as was the massive scale on its forehead that was shaped in a roughly developed heart.

Jangmo-o, the dragon type pokemon. It's final evolution is a pseudo-legendary, and a dragon-fighting type pokemon.

'He must have paid a fucking fortune for this.'

I barely noticed the grumbling of the boulders hitting the ground behind me. What I did notice was the dark blue energy coalescing on it's scaly tail. The little bastard charged right at me, with a dragon tail attack ready to smack me around.

Luckily, I had a counter to that.

Minato appeared in front of me, crouched and dripping sweat. A slight layer of ice appeared around his hand just as the tail swung forward to his head.

He caught it.

The little jangmo-o's tail did not like coming into contact with it's counter and he jerked away after that with a hiss. That's when it took a good look at its surroundings. My father's Pangoro, infernape, Gallade, Aggron, and quite possibly his strongest pokemon: Poliwrath.

It was only the fourth or fifth time I had seen what was left of his main team gathered together in one spot. Poliwrath had gained a few scars that I knew must have been well earned. The ocean was just as vast as my last life, and he had his work cut out for him patrolling it constantly. There was no telling the monsters he's seen that most of the world doesn't even know about.

The aggron's steel looked a little denser from his time spent in Granite Cave also. I hadn't heard any new rumors, but there had been more visitors to the island, now that Cinnabar was still rebuilding.

"Wrath!" My father's Poliwrath said as he banged his chest with a fist. There was a deep rumble from the pangoro's chest. Infernape seemed a little shy around the rest of its teammates. It was natural, he was the newest to the team, if you didn't count the jangmo-o.

Aggron was the one that really caught the attention of the little dragon. When he moved, his steel exterior rubbed against each other, producing a sound that made me cringe, but attracted the jangmo-o.

The tiny dragon hit it's head on the ground next to it, an odd sight to say the least. Although it did make it's scales clang. My father looked to his Aggron, and they had a silent conversation. It grumbled and nodded towards him.

And then my father turned away from them, without returning the little dragon at his feet. I followed him, and Minato teleported to the training room the rest of my pokemon were using.

"It's your turn now, son." My father said as we reached the elevator.

I feigned ignorance. "What do you mean?" I asked.

"You know better than that. That sixth ball isn't empty, son." Brody chastised, and stared at me. I didn't meet his gaze, intentionally.

I didn't feel like avoiding it, so I ripped the bandaid off. "It's a gyarados." I said nonchalantly.

My father didn't even miss a step. I was a little disappointed at that. I had grown used to his over the top reactions at the rare pokemon I kept collecting.

"Dear Arceus, kid." He said as he let out a deep breath. "You're going to turn me grey."

I smiled at that. It was only appropriate that children stressed their parents out. I was just doing my duty.

"How did you manage to do that?"

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"Can't help you, son."

I knew that would be his answer, so I didn't let it affect me. I nodded to him, already thinking about my next options.

"I figured as much." I answered. "Too many tourists around huh?"

"Yes." Brody answered. "I just can't allow it. The coasts are too heavily populated."

"Yea I get it. I do have a question though." I said. This particular question had been nagging away at me for a while now. "Why does it have a flying typing?"

Brody smiled at that before letting out a bark of a laugh. "That is Oak's contribution. We've been telling him he's crazy for years. That monster deserves the dragon typing. Hell it's egg group is considered a dragon! But he claims that its potential to harness the wind is greater than its potential to harness dragon energy. Says he's seen one fly!" Brody explained, making fun of the previous Champion of the Indigo Plateau.

'Bingo.'

"Fly huh?" I couldn't help but ponder that. I had never considered that Gyarados could fly. But it literally had a move commonly referred to as hurricane. So if it could call hurricane force winds around it, could it learn to manipulate the wind around it to fly?

That didn't make a lot of sense to me, but a lot of this world didn't make sense to me. Hell I had just seen a monkey with flames rising from the top of it's head. That didn't make a lot of sense, but it happened. I imagined descending from the clouds on top of the head of a gyarados, and what it would do to the people who saw it.

I made a decision right then and there. My gyarados would fly.

"I don't like that smile."

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Pallet Town hadn't changed much since the last time that I saw it. Although Oak's ranch was a hive of activity, and not from pokemon.

Oh shit, that's right. Start of a new 'year' with the league. Handing out starter pokemon? I thought as I recalled the date.

I noticed the abnormal amount of people in the area and decided it was best if my pokemon weren't out running amuck. Wouldn't want to scare anyone with Skika after all.

I returned everyone but Madara. Mainly because I could already see the massive arcanine bounding through the fields on the way to us and didn't want to face it's wrath. The crowd of eighteen year olds watched the magnificent creature raced through them. Not once did he knock anyone over, or even disturb them. The grace with which he moved shouldn't be possible at his speed.

And then he was in front of us. He playfully knocked Madara around before appearing beside me and rubbing gently across my side. I couldn't help but reach out and pet him. Even his fur felt majestic.

He let out a bark, towards both me and Madara, before bolting back across the fields. Madara was right behind him, although much slower. This time, he jumped over the fences as he moved. He had grown a lot since he had seen his father.

I took the interaction in stride, and realized that I had drawn the gaze of the crowd around me. I weathered the stares and walked forward. There was a line at the front, but I wasn't here for the same reason as them. So I walked right up to the opened gate.

There was a trainer there, sitting down on a chair with a clipboard in her hand. She had light brown hair, pulled back into a tight ponytail. Where most trainers wore make-up that was designed to be able to weather the hard life of being a pokemon trainer, her face was bare. High cheekbones, dainty nose, and a set of freckles that most people would be jealous of. She sported the normal fit body, most trainers did. Although she wore it better, somehow.

I met her hazel eyes, and filed her away in the back of my mind. The way you do most beautiful girls you meet on the street, but never expect to talk to.

"Was that yours?" She asked, motioning to the growlithe that had just jumped over her.

I nodded. "Yep, father and son." I clarified. "I talked to Professor Oak last night, he's expecting me. But he didn't tell me…" I trailed off and looked around at the faces watching our conversation.

She laughed slightly. "Yea, he tends to forget things. You can go on in. Make yourself useful, he'll be busy for the next few hours and we could use help."

I thought of asking her name, but didn't. She looked to be around twenty, which meant she could be anywhere from fifteen to twenty-five. My past life knew to do a little more research before embarrassing myself.

"Will do." I said as I started down the trail.

"Did he say 'father and son'?"

"Wait, isn't that the guy that gave Brock a run for his money?"

I had forgotten about that gym battle. My memories of Brock didn't extend past a massive Tyranitar wreaking havoc and death to the Team Rocket Grunt's we had fought. This time, when pink mist filled my vision, it didn't affect me as much. I brushed it off easily. I wasn't one to cower under my past. I accepted my actions, and moved on.

A deep heart to heart with my father might have helped also.

I didn't even bother knocking on the door that led to the lab. I had never been in this part of the ranch. Oak and I had mainly stayed at his house, or around the living areas last time. But he did point out what all the structures were around the area.

When I walked in, nobody looked in my direction. Two of his assistants were carrying cases of pokeballs to specific places in the lab. I looked around and couldn't help compare it to some sci-fi novels I had read in my past life. Machines and test tubes and all manner of sciencey stuff covered the lab.

"Scrap that plan, we have help! We can take it to the fields! Plan A!" Professor Oak's voice said and I looked up. There was a second story to the Lab that looked to be his personal working space.

Suddenly, someone was handing me three foldable tables. I grabbed them without complaint.

"Take these to Daisy, tell her we're going with Plan A. She'll tell you where to put them."

I knew that they were talking about the girl at the gate of the ranch. Now that I remembered her hazel eyes, I could see that she had inherited them from Professor Oak. The girl at the front of the ranch was Daisy Oak.

I nodded and immediately walked out with the tables. As soon as I crossed the threshold, I leaned the tables up against the wall and recalled my pokemon. Shika was quickly given the task of watching over our teddiursa and she herded him off to the side where she began playing with him. Minato grabbed the three tables with his telepathy before floating over the lab and heading back to the entrance of the ranch. I trusted him to talk with Daisy.

I walked back in with my Hariyama, ready for more things to transport. Nobody batted an eye at my pokemon and just started handing us more stuff.

My hands were full of chairs by the time I reached the front of the ranch again. Daisy and Minato were just finishing setting up the first three tables in a field right by the entrance. She was pointing and he was doing. It was very effective.

Hashi literally threw all of our tables in the air, and Minato caught them with his mind before we turned around to get more. Daisy turned to me then and we met eyes again. This time her gaze was searching, as if I looked familiar.

A picture of a Gardevoir standing in front of a trainer flashed in my mind, courtesy of Minato. I couldn't forget the setting. I was in Mt. Moon, being escorted out by Troy. The pieces clicked, and I realized she was the owner of the Gardevoir.

Shame flooded me, I don't know why. Shame and guilt. I turned around to join Hashi, who laid a massive hand on my head, affectionately. He must have felt my change in mood.

'And I thought I was over it.'

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It was dark when I was able to look up and stop working. I had a few breaks every now and then, but for the most part, I was running around doing something. If it wasn't a trainer bitching about his options in starters, it was the tauros herd mad that their field was being used. I literally put one boy in a chokehold once, so that he wouldn't try to kick the eevee he had chosen. Needless to say, he didn't get a pokemon today and would have to take remedial courses before Oak or the league would approve his license.

He was lucky I didn't just beat his teeth in.

'Some kids just aren't going to make it.'

"Stop being a little shit, Gary." I heard Daisy's, now familiar voice, say. I turned to them. A part of me was curious as to why they were fighting, another was curious as to why there were three more trainers waiting patiently.

"We've waited long enough, let us in." A nasally voice said. It was obviously Daisy's little brother, and the rival of Red, Gary Oak. He shared the hair and eye color with his sister, although he obviously took after the other parent.

"Gramps wants to give it to you personally. Be grateful for once in your spoiled life." Daisy's response was swift. It was obvious they didn't get along very well.

A sigh behind me told me I was right. Oak sighed as if he had heard this argument a million times.

"Never stops with them two." Oak said to me.

"Seems to be a normal occurrence." I commented.

"You have no idea. Daisy forgets she was the same way at his age. Her days as a trainer have curbed that attitude." Oak chuckled as the two exchanged more barbs.

"You think we should go save them?" I asked watching the exchange heat up.

Oak hummed and moved forward. He waved his hand for me to follow so I did.

"Gramps, tell her to let me through."

"You two should have a little more respect for each other!" Oak's parental side came through. "And outside of that, respect for me."

It was like watching a dragon awake from a deep sleep. His eyes swept across them disapprovingly and his stance screamed dominance. My eyebrows rose in surprise. "Be more patient, both of you."

I half-way expected some backtalk from them. But both knew when to close their mouths apparently.

"Yes sir." They echoed.

He nodded, and his whole demeanor changed back into the kind old man trying to make the world a better place.

"Now, let them through Daisy. The day has been long on my old bones." Oak said as he found the lone seat in the field next to the last three pokeballs on the table.

"Red, Leaf. You two can pick first, although we all know the outcome of this." Oak said, naming some of the most famous characters in the pokemon universe.

'And I get to watch the start of their journey.'

Red and Leaf were dressed exactly as they were portrayed in the games. Hats and all. Red's quiet disposition showed itself as he gestured for Leaf to go first. I caught the blush that tinted her cheeks as she nodded to him.

I absentmindedly noted that they all seemed to be the minimum age, sixteen. Odd, in a world where most are at least eighteen. Who am I to judge? I was the same age when I started my journey.

'Seems so long ago.'

Leaf was already pushing the release button. A bulbasaur materialized in the world. She bent down like she was greeting an old friend. I had a feeling that was exactly the case. Oak clued me in on that earlier.

My mind flashed to the image of a small makuhita fist bumping me. I smiled and looked over to my shoulder, where Hashi rolled around the field with Asuma. I couldn't help but smile.

Another bright light, and this time it was a charmander standing in front of me. I couldn't help but stare at the flame on the end of its tail. The light reflected off of something, and my eyes moved to see what it was.

Daisy was staring at me.

I held her gaze for a moment. 'Not a shy one, is she?'

I absentmindedly wondered why she was so intrigued by someone that was her brother's age. I quickly threw that thought away. This world was nothing like my last. Age wasn't a factor between trainers, not when tomorrow wasn't a given. That was why most trainers settled down early.

Find someone, get pregnant. That seemed to be the most common route. In the case of my parents, one gives up on the lifestyle to raise the child, and the other continues chasing the dream.

Rarely does it work out as well as my parents.

I looked away, as a squirtle materialized from red light.

I tuned out what happened next. It wasn't until Professor Oak shook me that I realized Red and Leaf were heading back to town. Gary had already disappeared somewhere. Daisy and Professor Oak were just staring at me.

"Now, what was it that you needed?" Professor Oak asked. His feet led him down the path towards his house. I caught stride right beside him.

I had almost forgotten myself, with the events of the day. Once again, I decided to rip the bandaid off.

"I caught a gyarados."

Daisy and Professor Oak both paused slightly at the news. "And I need some advice."

Oak grunted. Something between a laugh and conformation. "I can imagine. How did it happen?"

I gave him the full story without lying about it. I needed help and I didn't want to lie to get it. In the end, both of them were shaking their heads at me, and laughing slightly. The three of us sat around a dinner table at the end of the story.

"That is not the official story, of course." I added at the end.

"Oh I don't doubt that!" Daisy said as she scooped up some pasta and shoved it down her mouth.

"Your secret is safe with us." Oak said. His plate was already finished.

"So my first thought is to find somewhere that it can let loose all of it's rage. Although I would adjust that plan if another presented itself." I told them. It was my way of asking for help.

"Well, it may be listed as water/flying. But make no mistake, it is a dragon." Oak said. No doubt, he had these answers just waiting to be used on some young trainer. Like an old book sitting on a shelf.

"So while you must allow it to get rid of it's rage. You must also weather it's rage yourself. That is the only way you gain it's respect. And believe me, you need it's respect. Otherwise, it will be a useless pokemon, waiting for you to drop your guard." Oak explained simply. It made sense of course.

"That is what I was afraid of." I commented with a smile.

"Your Hypno will help. I would not be afraid of a little manipulation to achieve your goals on this one. Gyarados are notoriously hard to control." Oak offered.

That threw me off, although I had already thought about it. "Didn't expect that from you." I couldn't help but say.

"The world is changing, Brawly. We need powerful trainers with powerful pokemon on our side." Oak countered.

"Our side?" I latched on to the word.

'What side? What other sides are there.'

"That's enough." Daisy finally interrupted and shot a look towards her grandfather that clearly meant 'shut your mouth'.

"Anyway. I do have a place you can use on the ranch. I'll have my team clear the area out for wild pokemon. You won't have to worry about any casualties." Oak said, as if he hadn't just let a huge leak out of his mouth.

I dropped the matter and nodded to him, grateful. My experiences with the League, Ace trainers, and Professors had taught me many lessons. I wasn't touching this one with a ten foot pole.

"You can stay in the guest room. Coffee at six. I'll show you the place I'm talking about in the morning."

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A/N: Boom!

Brody got a pseudo, Daisy is hot and a badass, and Oak knows a lot of shit. And he has a big mouth. Red, Gary, and Leaf are starting their journey too!

A lot of shit is about to start happening people!

Next chapter, we get a meeting with our new team member!

Let's talk in the reviews!