A tall, white haired old man opened the door. His voice didn’t sound too old, but

could have belonged to someone in their forties. Erik looked him straight in the eye.

"Are you Professor Oak?" he asked.

"Yes, but I don’t believe I know who you are. And if you’re here for a Pokémon,

that was over two weeks ago, and there aren’t any extras." Oak replied.

"Oh no, I’m not here for a Pokémon, I’m here for my…" Erik paused, trying to

remember why he was here. "Maybe I better start at the beginning. And my name’s

Erik." He stated, trying to hint the Professor.

"Okay…" Professor Oak eyed him a moment. "Oh my! Where are my manners!

Come in, come in!" he said as he ushered Erik inside the mansion on a hill.

"Please, sit down while I get us some tea." He said, leading Erik to a room. It had

several mats laying around a knee high table, and Erik took a seat facing a large wall

made of glass. Outside the window was a garden, with trees, shrubs, a small pond, and

sand. Several more Pokémon were in the garden. In fact, the garden seemed to take up

much of the mansion’s space, allowing birds and big worms and fish and strange shrews

and many other kinds of Pokémon to move around.

In particular, Erik noticed a small group of Bulbasaur, although they were much

smaller than Bulby.

"Ah, I see you’ve noticed my little garden." Professor Oak said as he came in,

setting two cups and a teapot on the table.

"Yes, but I only have a Bulbasaur and Oddish, Bulby and Oddball." Erik said.

Professor Oak finished pouring the tea. "You already have two Pokémon? I

looked you up while the tea was on. You aren’t a Pokémon Trainer, so having Pokémon

in your possession is illegal. Do they belong to your parents?" Oak asked.

"Actually, no. But before you arrest me or something, let me explain myself."

Erik took a breath, and started to explain. "I don’t think I belong here. I was in the

woods behind my house one day, walking to a small spring that I like. I noticed that it

was strange, green and swirling. I, probably foolishly, dove in, and fell out on top of

Bulby." Erik glanced down at Bulby’s Pokéball.

"I didn’t know it at the time, but I grabbed a Pokéball, and threw it at Bulby, who

was weak and caught. After that, he helped me rescue Oddball, my Oddish, from a trap."

Professor Oak interrupted. "Trap? Did it look something like a small bear trap?"

he asked.

"Yes. I assumed that it was poachers, because it didn’t really fit in. Anyway, I

rescued Oddball and she followed me. I finally came upon a city, but before I reached it,

a girl named Psych, or Laury, came across me. She…she disappeared into a kind of blue

mist, but she acted like she knew me from somewhere. Anyway, I found your book on

training and read some of it. That’s how I knew about what things and places were

called."

Professor Oak had been listening carefully. "Yes…" Suddenly, he lit up.

"Please wait a moment, Erik, I must get something." He quickly left the room and

returned with a thick, hand-bound book.

"These are all the Pokémon legends. A copy, of course, because the real one is at

the Pewter City Museum. But, if I’m right…" he sat down, opening the book, and started

flipping.

"Ah! Here it is. I have been trying to understand this one for years, and was

about to give up. In one of the legends, there is a prophesy hand written in the margin. It

goes as follows:

‘Existing beyond time and space,

A place to where none shall travel,

Will come a hero to fight.

With bonds of steel between his friends,

To free another of mind,

And to destroy the evil users of power,

And free all they have enslaved.

Comes with the two without permission,

To complete his quest,

Only when gone is the one of mind,

And the mind of freedom.

Will one who knows not of this world,

Join the ultimate battle,

And free his one and only love,

From the deadly cut of the sword.

But only when Gassiter is found again,

Will the fore be true,

And when he comes,

May all evil beware.’" Professor Oak paused. "As you can see, it isn’t too

specific. Also, there is only one other mention of this ‘Gassiter’." He flipped, and held

up the book. "Gassiter, is says here, is the deadliest Mystic Power of all time. And, if

you’ll look closer, it says ‘to both when used for evil."

Erik couldn’t do anything but gape at the picture. It was the only color picture in

the book. The grip was set in leather strips, looking new, and was only wide enough for

one hand. On both sides of the grip were emerald green guards, merely the grip

expanding and coming to a flat. Sword blades emerged from the guards, The blades were

in the act of twirling, glowing a slight green and leaving a wave of green energy behind

each blade.

Surely the Professor didn’t think that he was the "hero" the prophesy mentioned.

But, he wasn’t so sure.

The Professor eyed him. "Since I can tell you’re a nice and responsible young

boy," he said, closing the book and taking out a pen and some papers. "I’ll let this slide.

What is your name?"

Erik mustered a reply. "Erik Masters." He said.

"For parent/guardians, I’ll simply put ‘unknown’, and for your address, you can

say this is your home." Oak said.

"Thank you." Erik replied.

"And, finally, is there anything you’d like to call your Pokédex?" Oak asked.

"My what?" Erik said, confused as to what a Pokédex was.

"It’s a handheld computer that gives you information about any Pokémon you see.

I’ll show you how to update it later, but I follow tradition and give each Pokédex a name.

It’s also your Pokémon Trainer’s License."

"Uh, how about Dexboy?" Erik suggested.

"Perfect. If you’ll excuse me…" Oak said as he stood up. He walked out of the

room and returned a few minutes later.

"Since you have both your Pokémon in Pokéballs, I assume that you found

some?" he said, handing Erik a small, green, rectangular organizer.

"Yes, they were in my pack. Laury’s pack." He corrected himself.

The green organizer had a small light in the upper left hand corner, and a small

button on the side. He pressed it. It opened, and Erik looked at it. There was a large

screen, a green button, and a directional control pad on one side, and a few rows of white

buttons on the other side, along with two large buttons and another small white one. The

rows had symbols on them, and looked more like lights than button. Suddenly, the light

on the upper light hand corner started flashing, and it showed a picture of him. A

computerized voice spoke as the light flashed.

"I am Dexboy, a Pokédex programmed by Professor Oak for Pokémon Trainer

Erik Masters. I assist him by providing information about Pokémon and associated

subjects." It, or he, said.

The Professor gave him a few last tips. "If you are the one the prophesy was

talking about, you can look for whoever it is you’re looking for while you gain the

badges from each town. There are eight major towns, and eight gyms. The first is in

Viridian, but it doesn’t admit anyone who doesn’t have the first seven. So start in

Pewter. After that, you can go the league. When you get all the badges, or find her,

contact me. My number is in the Pokédex. I’ll assist you from there. Check in on me

from time to time, and I’ll try to give you some tips." He paused. "Good luck Erik." He

said.

After thanking the Professor, the new Pokémon Trainer Erik left, and started for

the first town ahead, Viridian City.