The world came back into focus. It was morning, and people were repeatedly walking in squares. I looked at the two shockingly similar houses across the path from my house, mostly white, green roofs, and no windows. I looked to my right, and I saw a larger building, so I made my way over there, and stepped into the door.
I walked in, and I was in a mostly gray building with three people and lots of books. Suddenly, I started walking without trying to. I shouted and tried to grab onto something, but I made a beeline past everything straight to one of the men, and he said,
"ELM: Mike!
There you are!"
I stopped him. "What? ELM?" He, obviously, ignored me.
"I needed to ask
you a favor.
I have an acquain-
tance called MR.
POKEMON."
I cut him off again. "MR. POKEMON? What kind of a surname is that!? Is he re-" he continued blindly,
"He keeps finding
weird things and
raving about his
discoveries.
Anyway, I just got
an e-mail from him
saying that this
time it's real.
It is intriguing,
but we're busy
with our POKEMON
research."
"POKEMON research? All you're doing is staring at the door, and all anybody else is doing is pacing, getting nothing done!" I shouted.
"Could you look
into it for us?"
I sighed. "I don't have a choice, obviously."
"I'll give you a
POKEMON for a
partner."
I perked up. "Y-you'll give me a POKEMON!? Cool!" I squealed in delight. He finished,
"They're all rare
POKEMON that we
just found.
Go on. Pick one!"
I walked over to a table. Three Poke Balls were on it. I looked at the one on the far left, and a picture appeared in front of me, causing me to jump slightly. A creature with a long head and spikes was displayed on it. I stared, and it vanished.
"ELM: You'll take
CYNDAQUIL, the
fire POKEMON?"
ELM asked from across the table. "No, I'll see the others too." I answered.
"ELM: Think it over
carefully."
he said. "...I am. That's why I said 'no, I'll see the others'." I responded.
"Your partner is
important."
he noted. I nodded, tired of my inability to move while people talk. He finished, and I checked the middle ball. Another picture appeared, this time of a small, bipedal alligator Pokemon. That's a Totodile. I thought, remembering my Mount Battle experience in my Colosseum game. Nah, I've already used him... And I don't care for spiky, long-headed creatures... I thought, looking over at the last Poke Ball.
"ELM: Do you want
TOTODILE, the
water POKEMON?"
ELM asked. "I've already had one, so I'll take something else. Er, I mean, NO." I responded.
"ELM: Think it over
carefully.
Your partner is
important."
He said finally, freeing my movement. I moved to the last ball, and looked at it. A picture appeared again, this time of a cute, four-legged green Pokemon with a leaf on its head. It vanished.
"ELM: So, you like
CHIKORITA, the
grass POKEMON?"
ELM inquired. I hesitated for a second, and then nodded. "Yes, I do."
"ELM: I think
that's a great
POKEMON too!"
the professor stated as cheerfully as a computerized program can. A voice from somewhere proclaimed,
"Mike received
CHIKORITA!"
I looked around, and saw nothing from which such a voice may come from. I shuddered, and the voice continued,
"Give a nickname to
the CHIKORITA you
received?"
"You mean would I like to nickname it?" I asked nervously. No answer. "Are you... Oh, right. YES." Upon its prompting, the voice said,
"CHIKORITA'S
NICKNAME?"
I thought for a minute. Then another. Female... I thought, before proclaiming the name. "Solya." I finally answered. I suddenly and inexplicably approached ELM, and he said,
"MR. POKEMON lives
near CHERRYGROVE.
the next city.
It's almost a
direct route to
there."
He turned to his right, to face a large contraption, and said,
"If your POKEMON is
hurt, you should
heal it with this
machine."
I stared for a second. "... Mind explaining how?"
He instantly whirled to face me, and I shrunk back.
"Oh, here's my
phone number.
Call me if some-
thing comes up."
ELM said, and I stood back to my full hight. A voice,
"Mike got ELM's
phone number."
It said. ELM stared at me, and I shuddered nervously. "What?" I asked. He stared longer.