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.