Axel kind of hoped that his journey to Kalos was smooth sailing— only that this was clearly not the case. It hasn't even been 30 minutes ever since he was dropped off, and he was already in trouble.
"Are you alright?" A purple haired girl (?) wearing a ranger uniform asked him as he stumbled to a stop.
"Ah—" Axel started. Whatever the creature was, it disappeared into the alleyways, and Axel had completely lost track of it. He panted heavily, "yeah!"
"Glad to hear," she grinned, "That thing sure's giving everyone the slip, huh? I've been trying to subdue it but just no luck at all."
Axel took a quick glance at his phone, clicking his tongue nervously. I don't have much time, but... I don't want to abandon my cap just like that either. He clenched his fists. The cap was something important to him— something that he didn't want to lose.
"I'm getting it back," He said, fully determined.
"Wanna team up then?" She suggested, "what's your name!"
"Axel. You?"
"Bugsy's the name! Nice to meetcha!" She ran up to him and held out her palm at him, "high five!"
Axel tipped his head sideways cluelessly, looking at his palm and mimicked what she was doing, holding it up. He laughed awkwardly, "uh. High five?"
He looked at her in confusion as she slapped her hand against his.
Axel crouched down and examined the footprints carefully, getting his brain into action. A Pokémon that's pretty small and runs on 4 feet with tiny oval footprints. I thought I saw a glimpse of yellow and black as well.
With that size...
"It's a Pichu," Axel deduced, standing up confidently, "there are a lot of hiding places available for small Pokémon like Pichu in a city like this, but if I were it, I'd probably have my base set up in an alleyway—" he stopped, "ah— I— sorry, I got carried away."
"No, no," she waved her hand submissively, "go on, go on. Would a geographic spread of the reported thefts help?" She asked, pulling up a physical copy of the Vermillion City map.
"That's perfect!" He nodded. He was going to search through every alleyway, so having a narrowed down area to search would really have helped.
Looking through the labels on the map, Axel realized that they were all concentrated around a certain area. "Can you take me there?" He asked, circling it with his finger.
Bugsy edged closer to him, "oh? Near the Pokémon gym?"
"Gym?" Axel looked at her in confusion.
"A place where you have a Pokemon battle with the gym leader—an exceptionally strong trainer who specialises in training Pokemon of a certain type— don't you know?" She pointed out in surprise.
"Oh," he looked away, "w... well anyways, I think it might be hiding around here. We can set a trap to lure it out— what do you think?"
Bugsy placed her hand to her chin thoughtfully, "hm, that'll work— but how?"
"With this," Axel took out a wooden box from his backpack and opened it, revealing a harmonica made of smooth, polished wood. It had shades of hazel with tints of lighter browns. Looking closely, there was an Articuno, a Moltres, and a Zapdos carved onto the surface. It was strangely mesmerising, with the three legendary pokemon flying around a pillar of light in a spiral. They were shaped like whiffs of smoke, not very detailed, but looked as if they would fly out any moment.
"That's amazing!" Bugsy's eyes widened, "did you make it?"
"No way," Axel laughed, shaking his head, "It was hidden in the dirt when I found it years back. Sure brings back memories."
—
Laying a trap was probably not the most efficient solution, because after setting it up at around a dozen alleys, the Pichu was still nowhere to be seen. Time was running out, and Axel had to get to the terminal in half an hour.
"Maybe I can send it to you through mail when we find it," Bugsy suggested as they laid down the trap again in another alley.
"We'll find it." Axel said, determined, "my brother gave me that cap, so—" he hesitated briefly, "it's important to me. I'll get it back myself no matter what."
Taking out a comb from his backpack, he started brushing it vigorously against his hair.
Bugsy tipped her head in confusion, "what are you doing?"
"Generating static electricity," he answered as his hair started spiking up like a cactus, "most electric type Pokémon are capable of picking up electric shocks or signals. It would've been better if I had a circuit or electric generator to work with, but this will do for now."
Bugsy touched Axel's hair curiously and was promptly zapped by a tiny jolt of electricity. She pulled away her hand immediately.
Moments later, a Pichu peeked around cautiously, scampering over to Axel's harmonica. Walking around it, it sniffed the foreign object.
"There we go," Axel smiled, creeping out from their hiding spot, "Now's our chance!"
This is a good spot. It's a dead end so it can't run away without bypassing me. Pichu can't control the electricity, and will be surprised if they manage to shock a human. At most, I'll only have to endure a tiny zap if it chooses to attack.
Breaking into a dash, Axel pounced onto the Pichu, grabbing it in his palms, "gotcha!"
The Pichu glared at him, releasing a giant Thundershock from its body.
Wha—
"Axel!" Bugsy rushed to his side, "what are you thinking, grabbing a Pichu like this? Do you not have a Pokémon to battle it?"
Axel held his head, "I just started my journey a few hours ago! Of course I don't!"
"Aren't you a Pokémon trainer? Normally you'd have a starter, right?"
"I'm not a trainer! I— I want to be a Pokémon Professor!" He protested, before covering his mouth. Ah. I said too much—
"A Pokémon professor? That's really ambitious! No wonder you know so much about Pokémon!" She grinned, "how impressive."
Axel's eyes widened in amusement at her reply, "I... guess? Thanks?"
"But still, even if you're a researcher, you should still catch a Pokémon or two to assist you," she suggested, pointing at the Pichu, "starting with that."
The Pichu let out a low growl at the two as it stood on its fours, ready to fight. Before Axel could react, it headbutt Axel into the ground, then paralyzed him again with another powerful Thundershock.
Two back to back Thundershocks? Axel couldn't believe his eyes as it jumped off him, electricity sparking from its cheeks. With zero drawbacks as well!
"Get back here!" Axel stumbled after it with a grin. An anomaly! I want to learn more! About this world! About the unknown!
"Axel! Catch it with a Pokeball!"
If catching a Pokemon will bring me one step closer to being a Pokémon Professor—
Nodding, Axel took out one of the round contraptions Professor Oak gave him, holding it out at the Pichu.
I'll do it!
He blinked as nothing happened. Dumbfounded, he looked at Bugsy, "uh... how do I use this again?"
"Just throw it at the Pichu!"
But before he could do so, the Pichu jumped up, forming an electric orb in its palm and firing it at his hand, knocking the Pokeball out of his grip.
"The Pokeball!" Axel ran after it as the Pichu grinned smugly at the newbie trainer's attempt to capture it.
Little did it know, in absolute coincidence, the Pokeball fell right on top of its head, sucking it in like a tornado.
Axel picked up the Pokeball as it fell to the ground, shaking two times before a cascade of stars lit up above it.
"Congratulations on your first catch!" Bugsy cheered.
"It's... inside?" Axel closed one eye and examined it carefully. The next second, the Pokeball burst open by itself, frightening Axel, who took a few quick steps back and fumbled to catch the Pokeball again.
He crouched down, holding out his hand at the tiny Pokémon, "I'm Axel, let's get along," he smiled," let's see... Chu!"
The Pichu zapped him upon hearing his ridiculous naming sense.
"Fine! Pika, then!" Axel corrected himself as Bugsy laughed in the background. He picked up the Pichu, "Can you please give me back my cap?" Axel had never met a Pokémon as stubborn as it, who turned away with a pout.
"Come on! I'm in a hurry! Please!" Axel started begging. Smirking, Pika used Thundershock again to escape, then started rolling on the ground and laughing.
"You little—" Axel let out a frustrated growl. He reached into his backpack, taking out a can of Pokémon food, "this is all I have for now. It probably doesn't suit your taste, but please! I'll exchange this for my cap!" He felt pathetic doing this, but there was nothing else he could think of in such a tight situation.
Pika dug in right away, licking its tongue in a satisfied manner. It kicked the empty can at Axel's head, then ran off by itself. Axel picked up his harmonica and followed it with a sigh, hoping that it wasn't giving him the slip. What am I even gonna do with a Pokemon like this... I was naïve to think that it'll be obedient just because I caught it...
Following Pika into an alley, Axel was surprised to see a mountain of stolen items, with his cap on the top of it. Pika jumped up and grabbed it nimbly with its teeth.
"That's quite a collection you've got there..." Axel said, "I'll take my cap, thank you."
Much to his chagrin, Pika refused to hand over the cap. It sat down in front of him, tapping its foot impatiently. Axel tried to reach and grab his cap, but immediately took a warning shock from it. Surely, Axel was getting impatient. With no other solution he could think of, he put down a snack bar (meant for himself) in front of Pika.
Nodding, Pika tossed Axel his cap, munching on the bar.
"You're a hungry one, aren't you?" Axel tried petting its head, and let out a yelp as he was hit by a Thundershock the next second.
"How's your partner bonding session going?" Bugsy asked, "Your Pichu looks as if it's looking down on you... you're getting bossed around by it, aren't you?"
Axel covered his face at the comment with a grumble, "Don't rub it in, would you? Getting mocked by both a baby Pokemon and a girl is the worst feeling ever."
"Girl?" Bugsy blinked at him, "I'm a guy, though?"
Axel turned to look at him immediately, his mouth wide open in shock. "Sorry! I thought—"
"No, it's okay," Bugsy laughed, holding out his hand for a handshake, "allow me to formally introduce myself. I'm Bugsy, the gym leader of the Azalea Gym back in the Johto region! I specialize in bug type Pokemon, and I'm here to do research on Kantonian bug type Pokemon!"
Axel held his hand awkwardly, "gym leader..." so he's one of those people who are great at battling... "wait, then do you not have Pokemon?"
Bugsy stuck out his tongue playfully, "sorry! My Pokemon are out on an expedition! Though I guess I also held back a bit myself. I wanted to see what you were capable of since you looked really knowledgeable, you see!" he pulled Axel closer to him with a wink, "between you and me, my dream is to become a Pokemon Professor as well, so I'm rooting for you!"
—
Axel was relieved to have checked in at the airport on time even with the fiasco. Pika was, unfortunately, still being disobedient, refusing to get inside the Pokeball (his attempt to do so ended in a Thundershock). As a result, Axel had resorted to the method of bribery to get it to at least stick by his side.
Honestly, it's such a headache. As an assistant/ caretaker himself, he had never struggled with taming a Pokemon this much.
Such a way to start off my journey... rather discouraging, I would say.
"Axel!" Bugsy ran towards him, out of breath, handing him a fruit basket, "here! As thanks for helping me and an apology for the trouble!"
"No, it's okay!" Axel said, cringing as Pika dived into the fruit basket without a moment to lose, helping itself to the fresh fruits. "Th...thanks. Anyways! Uh— the items Pika stole..."
"Don't worry about that!" Bugsy gave Axel a pat on the back to cheer him up, "I'll take care of that. And just take it slow with your Pichu— friendships take time to build, I'm sure you'll do just fine!"
Friendship... Axel glanced at Pika, shaking off a recurring thought in his head. About time I figure that out, I guess.
"Good luck!" Bugsy waved at Axel.
Axel smiled, waving back.
Well, one step at a time it is.