"Come on! You'll love the con! THE CREATOR is going to be there. The main man himself!" Rey, my boyfriend of two years, begged for the hundredth time. He was decked out in his costume for the con. Platinum hair, platinum contacts that he spent months hunting down, a dark red beret, matched the red undershirt that lie beneath a light jean jacket, white scarf, and matching backpack. However, he couldn't pass up his usual black jeans or tennis shoes.
"You and I both know, that I would have a class A freak out in there. You go have fun! Buy me lots of merch! In the mean time, I'm going to hit up some of those old gaming shops we looked up and see if I can find the games we're missing in our collection." I nudged him gently with my shoulder. He fake pouted but didn't press me further. He knew that there was no changing my mind on this. Too many people were an issue for me. I was more into animals any way. They just understood me better than people. With a wave and a kiss to the cheek, we parted ways. Him into the bustling building of the convention, and me to the nearest gaming store that looked as ancient as the treasures it held within. To say I felt like a PlayStation One version of Lara Croft wasn't much of an exaggeration as I jaunted across.
The door itself announced my arrival before the faint tinkling of the bell as it groaned, resistant to my desire to enter and behold the treasures it guarded. The shop itself was small, just this measly thing squeezed into a space between two possibly billionaire style companies that thought the taller they stood, the more prized they were. The shop however, was hunched over, tired of carrying their weight as they fought over it. It's roof sagged, and the ceiling tiles within were stained from water leaks. The walls were covered in posters of new released games that had released at least 10 years prior. Gaming magazines littered the corners, in either disarrayed stacks or boxes placed haphazardly. Wire racks lined the walls, with games standing at attention, soldiers begging to be taken to battle. However, I cared not for their cries, instead I was drawn to the prisoners in the glass counters. The true crown jewels of this treasure hoard. There in the case, were Game boys, PSPs, GameBoy Colors, 3DS's, any kind of portable gaming console, sat in the case. Below each one was a selection of their most iconic games, and their in the lineup, was a cartridge I knew I had to have.
The poor thing had to have been battered and sun bleached, but it was undeniable. It was a Pokemon crystal cartridge. I knew we didn't have it, and if I could get it to work, Rey would be ecstatic at my findings! I quickly looked up and around for the shop keep. It wasn't until I called out that a strange man, wearing a white lab coat over a tshirt and a pair of jeans walked into the room.
"Ah yes, hello! Did you find what you were looking for? You came just in time! I was just about to head out to the convention with some of my other products." he said to me. I nodded, distracted by my own potential find. "Yes, actually, how much for the Pokemon Crystal there?" I pointed to the one in the case. The label was missing with the exception of the words Pokemon across the part that managed to hold on. The sparkles and mostly see through case were undeniable.
"Ah yes, that's where that went. I was going to take it with me. But if you want it, I can let go of it for, twenty five dollars." he said casually. "Done!" I slammed thirty on the counter, anxious for the game. He unlocked the case and handed me the game. I was out the door almost as soon as it touched my hand. It was warm, but I didn't care it was mine! And I was going to play it before Rey would get the chance to. I couldn't stop my giggle of glee as I raced back to the hotel that was only a block from both the convention center and the shop that I had went into. I didn't bother to look back as I raced up to my floor, foot tapping as I impatiently waited on the elevator and even more as I waited for it to reach my floor. By the time I made it to my room, I was nearly laughing maniacally. It was finally mine, and at a steal! Sure it was beat up, but it was finally mine.
I dug through our luggage and quickly found the original Gameboy we brought with us. I plugged the cartridge in and prayed to whatever Gods were listening that the game would still work. And that was when I heard it. Then undeniable sound of the Gameboy powering up, and the unmistakable theme song that has been attached to Pokemon for years. It worked! I pressed start, and suddenly everything around me was black, and I was falling...
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I sighed softly to myself as I watched Ariana walk off, already missing her presence but quickly shaking off the feeling and turning my attention to the con. Already seeing multiple people in different cosplays walking inside, stopping for pictures with fans or just chatting about. With a deep breath and some slight jitters I make my way inside, occasionally stopping to take pictures with other cosplayers or just fans who were enjoying the con. I was enjoying myself as I walked around the convention, eventually finding the vendor stalls.
With a grin on my face, I walk over stall to stall looking over everything they had to sell. From a few of the stalls I got some things for Ariana, mostly some artwork of the eeveelutions and a lore accurate sized stuffed animal of eevee, while for myself I had gotten a lore accurate sized stuffed animal of Aron and Larvitar. I walked around for a while longer around the stalls, till I hear over the speakers that the Creator panel would start in ten minutes. At the announcement of the panel starting I make my way to the doors, stopping at a vendor stall that seems to stick out, with multiple different props from different franchises with the vendor themselves standing out the most as they looked like a 1 to 1 replica of the merchant from Resident Evil 4.
"Over here stranger. Come look at my wares, see if anything catches your eye." He had everything that made him look like the merchant down to the slight hunch, to even the the iconic voice that made it seem like he was ripped right out of the game. He spread his arms out over the table in his stall that was filled with so many different props and trinkets. Gems that looked like the chaos emeralds from Sonic the Hedgehog, a vial filled with a black and red substance, devil fruits such as the gum gum fruit and many more from One Piece. "I have all you could want or need for your next adventure, if you have the coin."
I let my eyes trail over the trinkets and props on the table before they settled on a collection of pokeballs, each one looked like that they could actually work. I slowly reach out and grab the Ultra ball, Luxury ball, Dusk ball, Heavy ball. With each one I grabbed I felt the cool metal and slight hum of the electronics inside them as I placed them down on the table, looking directly into the eyes of the merchant. "How much for these four?"
The merchant looked over the items fairly quickly before his eyes met mine once again with an amused look in his eyes. "Hmm well lets see I can do three hundred for each, but since you are in such a fitting outfit for your adventure. I'll do eight hundred for two and then the last two will be free, can't have a trainer with no money afterall. All I ask is what are your favorite type of pokemon exactly?"
"Deal. Thanks for the deal man, these are some amazing looking props. Oh yeah about my favorite types are steel and dark types." I quickly say as I pull out the money needed to pay and hand it over to him with a smile. Grabbing the four pokeballs and placing them inside my backpacks side pockets. Once I had everything secured and ready, I waved goodbye to the merchant walking towards the doors the Creator panel I hear the merchant say something. "Well I do hope you enjoy your adventure in world of pokemon with your girlfriend, Ariana."
I turned my head to look back at the merchant as I walk through the doors only to turn back to a black void. In a slight panic I look around my surroundings, noticing a small light in the distance and quickly run over to it, the light becoming brighter and brighter as I get closer. Running through the light, the smell of fresh air and the sound of chirping fill my nose and ears as I notice I'm in the middle of a forest clearing, seeing Ariana passed out in the clearing.
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"Ariana! Ariana!" I could vaguely hear a voice calling my name but it sounded so far away. "Rey?" I groaned my whole body was sore from landing on the ground. Wait, what was I thinking? Wasn't I just at the hotel? I shouldn't be hurting at all, I should instead feel fine. I was curled up on the bed excited to play for hours, wasn't I? Why do I then feel, grass? I slowly forced my eyes open, sunlight beamed down on my making me groan in protest before Rey popped into view. "Oh thank Arceus you're all right." He sighed, relief evident all over his body.
"Rey, where am I?" I asked him still confused as to what had happened in the first place. "It's so weird because I remember finding," I slowly sat up. "Pokemon Crystal. It was in near perfect condition too, just the label was rubbed off some. Some guy in a Professor cosplay sold it to me, then I rushed back to the hotel room, turned it on, hit start, then...nothing just me waking up here."
I looked at him concerned. "Did, you don't think- we didn't- did we?" My mind was as fragmented as my questions at that point. There was no way we were isekai'd right? Right? "How did you find me?" I asked him. He paused blushing softly that, had he not been so close, I might not had seen it, before he told me what happened. "Then I found you here, and was worried you were dead."
He sat back for a moment as we both took in what happened to us. "Oh hell no! We did get fucking isekai'd! What the hell?! Why?!" I shouted in confusion and anger. That was when we heard it, a soft chuckle of amusement, it was a gentle almost ringing sort of sound. We turned to face what sounded like wind chimes and small bells. There standing, or more floating, before us was the God of pokemon himself, Arceus. The aura that emanated from him, was terrifying, but when your approached by a God, you don't exactly run away.
'Hello trainers, you are not like the others in this world are you? And yet your devotion to Pokemon is exactly what this world needs.' We could feel his words more than hear them, like projections of thought and emotions slammed into us. 'Please do not be afraid, I am in dire need of your help. I have seen a future without you two, and it is not one I would like to see come to pass.' Arceus lowered it's head at that point. Was it the Arceus, or did I really feel such a deep sorrow? I shared a look with Rey, he felt it too.
"What do you need us to do?" I asked before Arceus lifted it's head and looked behind it. Fear filled my body now as it scanned the horizon. 'Go. Begin your adventure. Perhaps, we will see each other again.' And with that he was gone. I slowly turned to Rey. "There is no way that just happened right? Like we did not just meet with an Arceus, and speak to it!" Excitement filled my voice now. "We can finally do it! We can actually do it! Let's do what we've always talked about! Let's build something! Together!" I was beyond excited now, giggling and dancing around. Far too animated and loud for a forest full of pokemon, but that only added to my excitement. This was just the beginning of our grand adventure.
Rey on the other hand, didn't seem near as excited, instead he was playing all of the issues that they were going to face. Needing pokedollars, pokeballs, potions, pokemon, not to mention a way to get away or set up camp should we need to camp or get out of a tough spot. He grabbed me by the shoulders and spun me to face him. "Babe, I love your enthusiasm for Pokemon, but we need to find a road to lead us to town, so we could at least get something to help protect us. Maybe even get our first Pokemon." That was when he adjusted his bag, and panic washed over his face. "The plushes! Where are they?! They would have been great to get us out of a few fights! He dug through his bag pulling out all of the things he had bought at the con, even pulling out four pokeballs.
He put his head in his hands, "No, no, no!" he growled. "I spent so much on those things! At least we still have the pokeballs." he sighed. "They might be okay as a distraction, could maybe knock one out if we threw them hard enough. I doubt they're real." He started muttering to himself about how he hoped he could find the plushes and that if he ever saw that merchant again he was dead meat. I let him ramble as I reached down and picked up the ultra ball replica. It was a baseball sized sphere with a white bottom, black top with a yellow 'H' on top. In the middle of the sphere between the black and white halves, was a crease, a solid black like, and a silver button on the front face of it. It had some heft to it and felt amazingly well done. Curious and hoping it wasn't a ring box, yet half hoping it was, I pressed the button on it, only to be greeted with a familiar sound that made Rey snap his head up.
There in front of us was the brown fox herself. "Eevee!" it cried. My eyes watered with tears as I watched her look around. She was looking for trouble already. "You got me an eevee?!" I shouted happily hugging him. "Oh she's perfect!" I bent down and scratched her chin. She was so soft and warm. She was everything I had hoped for out of an Eevee. I looked at the other three balls curious. "Didn't you say you got me an Eevee plush? What if the other two plushes are in your two pokeballs?" I suggested, giving Eevee head rubs which she seemed to enjoy.
Rey looked at me skeptical, then hesitantly reached towards the pokeballs. He slowly reached towards the dusk ball, another baseball sized sphere, but this one had a more complicated design. The base color was black and that covered the whole pokeball this time, however, there where also bright green circles that covered the pokeball, and a bright orange seam between the two with a matching button. He pressed down on the button and the familiar release noise was there when we heard the growl of his favorite psuedo-legendary pokemon, Larvitar. "There's no fucking way that just happened. Let me grab the other one, surely it won't happen again." he reached quickly for the Heavy Ball. This one was the same size as the others but once more it looked different than the others. This one had more of a monochromatic theme, with a dark grey top and white bottom. But there were six blue bumps that stood out on it, four small ones and two larger ones. As soon as he pressed the button, Aron emerged in front of us.
"Well, I guess between the two of us we'll have a team that can take on anything. Now all that's left is the luxury ball!" I picked up the black ball that had small gold lines on it like an art deco, and a golden seam and button. However, when the button was clicked, I was dismayed to find that it was indeed empty. "Well it was worth a shot. So we have an empty pokeball, and three pokemon, I'm sure we can handle a night or two on our way to a town. If only we knew what region we were in." I sighed. Grabbing the balls and handing them to Rey. With him having the only backpack, it made sense for him to carry them. "Hey do you think our phones became pokedex's? Like in Legends of Arceus?" I pondered aloud. "I mean we did just meet it."
Rey and I pulled out our phones, and were quickly disappointed. While they still worked for now, they were just regular phones, and with no signal, they were nothing more than overpriced cameras with game modes. "Well, now we really need to look for a town. Maybe we can get a Rotom phone or whatever they call them there." I placed my hands on the back of my head while Eevee walked next to me. "Hey are we going to name them?" I paused looking down at her, or was it a he? Now I was even more confused. "We can wait til the town so we can be certain of their genders." Rey said matter of factly. It made sense though. Especially with his pokemon, as I was fairly certain there was hardly a difference between the two genders for them.
I studied my eevee closely. Observing all of it's markings to see if perhaps I could tell the difference between males and females. I had studied for so long, it was time to put it to the test. "Hmm, if you were female, I would need to find a heart shaped marking on your- tail!" I squealed with glee, causing her, Rey, Larvitar, and Aron to jump from the sudden noise. "Oh this is wonderful! Eevee is a girl!" Eevee chirped back in response as if to tell me she already knew that. She was quite the sassy one, and I was loving it! "I think I'll call you Bella!" I beamed. "Like Belatrix Lestrange! Not Bella from Twilight."
Soon we had made our way through the forest and into open plains. Tall grass bent down to the winds beckoning and we could see plenty of flying insect types bustling along. "Well, lets keep going maybe we'll encounter another trainer?" I bit my lip nervously. There were already so many pokemon, this was different than the games. And I felt like it would be much more like the TV show. Afterall, in that one, even the trainers could get hurt, or die.