My Pokémon Anime Journey | BOOK ONE: KANTO

Fact or Fable?

Stars dripped from the yolk of the moon in the inky soup of night. Ari was hardly surprised when Clefairy left her Poké Ball of her own accord to admire the scenery. It deserved appreciation, like any mortal performance. Even Misty's Psyduck, waddling at Misty's side, was fixated on the sky. Vulpix pranced, continually shifting slightly, trying to figure out at which angle the moonlight hit her best.
Ari, Misty, and Brock had not stopped walking when the sun went down. In fact, the idea went completely undiscussed. Why would they rest, when the night was cool, and the starlight its magnum opus? Besides, they had woken late that morning, and ate a large breakfast they still needed to burn.
Steep hills, a miniature canyon, rose on either side of Ari; her whimsy painted the flowers adorning them as constellations.

Ari was about to suggest finally settling down, if only so she could admire her surroundings from the comfort of her sleeping bag, like admiring the inside of the grandest pillow fort.
A particularly bright star's glint caught Ari's eye. Closer inspection revealed it was not a star at all, but a silvery stone nestled in a high cliff. A tawny-haired boy, wearing clothes loose enough to be pyjamas, was examining the stone keenly, a Nidorino sat at his heels.
"What's he looking at?" Misty wondered.
"Only one way to find out." Ari's tiredness evaporated. She jogged towards the boy with Eevee and Clefairy.
The boy didn't seem startled by their approach. "You see it too, huh?"
Ari could identify the stone now. "A Moon Stone." The memory flared like a candle - the Moon Stones raining onto the Clefairy colony, a sight which rivalled any meteor shower.
Clefairy's ears twitched. Clefairy couldn't pull off greed or longing, but excitement fitted her face perfectly. It was the happiest Ari had ever seen the Fairy Pokémon, equal to the sadness when Clefairy had watched the rest of her kind Evolve.
"I'm Atlas. Nidorino and I are trying to figure out how to get it down safely," the boy said.
Brock said, "So Nidorino can Evolve."
"Niddo!" Nidorino affirmed.
Clefairy's greatest dream was to master the powers of her Evolution, Clefable... Ari would do anything to make that aspiration reality.
Evidently, she wasn't alone in the sentiment: Eevee began to scamper up the steep hillside.
"Eevee, it's dangerous!" Misty warned.
Ari, admiration warring against fear, fingered Bulbasaur's Poké Ball, letting him out. Using his vines now risked knocking Eevee, but perhaps he could catch her if she fell-
No. Ari wouldn't consider that.
Clefairy's eyes were wet with concern. "Clefair?"
If anything, Clefairy's fretting spurred Eevee on. "Vee! Va!" Small cries punctuated each upwards hop.
Eevee reached the Moon Stone embedded in the rock. The hill was soft, so Eevee dislodged the stone, went to grab it in her mouth-
-and slipped.
"Vveee!" Eevee tumbled. Ari's stomach lurched. Her arms spasmed.
Bulbasaur's vines unfurled, but he didn't anticipate Eevee bouncing off the hill.
SMACK!
Eevee hit ground which was harder than its childish pastel shades indicated.
Ari hurried to Eevee's side. Eevee's breathing was shallow. "We need a Pokémon Center!"
Clefairy cried with guilt, Bulbasaur's touch doing little to sooth her.
"That sign says there's one further down the valley," Atlas said. Ari wasted no time.

The familiar outline of the Pokémon Center was a light in the dark, despite its unusual lack of illumination. Ari barreled through the door and set Eevee on the counter.
"My Pokémon fell from a cliff," she told the nurse, veiled in shadow.
"We'll take care of that right away," said Nurse Joy.
Ari admired Joy's dedication. She probably didn't get many patients out here. That explained her shabby surroundings.
Ari sank into a chair, burying her face in Brock's shoulder.

Once Eevee was wheeled away, the nurse removed her cap, revealing Jessie's stiff hair (the real surprise being her ability to conceal it.)
"Victory has never tasted so sweet," Jessie celebrated.
"Or so dusty," James said, with a hacking cough.
"I think that's Jessie's perfume," said Meowth.
Jessie pursed her lips. "We have Eevee - she's in no shape to run. Why don't we just make a run for it?"
"Because we're running an illegitimate business, Jessie!" Meowth said. "The twerps would get suspicious."
"It's miraculous that they aren't already," James said. "This fake Pokémon Center is held together by string."
"Insult my plan again, and that string'll be holding you as well," Meowth hissed. "Besides, you nitwits, this is why we have Plan B!"
"Plan B?" Jessie and James repeated.
"To trick the twerps into believing Eevee was stolen by Team Rocket!"