Chapitre 6: A New Adventure
An uncomfortable silence began to preside once the Pilaf Gang followed Cyrus and Sird into the elevator. All three interdimensional travelers broke into a cold, nervous sweat, trying their best not to share direct eye contact with either Team Galactic commander. This was particularly difficult in the case of Sird, the terrifying woman who was glaring daggers at them and their Four-Star Ball. Cyrus, on the other hand, contemplatively stared into space, his blue eyes sporting their usual look of lax indifference. Sird then cleared her throat and calculatingly examined Emperor Pilaf from head to toe.
"So, what is the significance behind this Dragon Ball's name anyway?" Sird questioned curiously as she leaned her back against the elevator walls. Emperor Pilaf shivered at the coldness of her voice, pleadingly looking toward Mai and Shu for assistance. Unfortunately for him, Mai and Shu were too stricken by fear to add any sort of comfort.
"Erm… uh… there are seven Dragon Balls in total to collect. Once they are gathered together, a green dragon with deer antlers known as Shenron comes to…to…" Emperor Pilaf hesitantly explained the Dragon Balls' functionality. Sird narrowed her eyes, noticing Pilaf's lack of enthusiasm in his answer.
"Comes to what, Pilaf? Spit it out before one my Persian comes out to play again." Sird coldly threatened while motioning to the four Poké Balls attached to her waist. Not wanting to be ripped limb from limb by said super-powered cougar, Pilaf frantically thought over his words.
"Alright, alright! He comes to grant three wishes of any person who summons him!" Pilaf exasperatedly revealed. This new piece of information caused Sird and Cyrus to collectively widen their eyes with interest. Cyrus stroked his chin and intriguingly looked down at the Four-Star Ball in Pilaf's hands.
"A wish-granting dragon, you say? Interesting. In that sense, these Dragon Balls seem to be a perfect amalgamation of both Rayquaza and Jirachi. How very interesting indeed…" Cyrus presumed, connecting the Dragon Balls' existence to two of the Hoenn region's most powerful Legendary Pokémon. Never hearing of such odd-sounding names, The Pilaf Gang shared puzzled looks with one another.
"I have no clue what this guy is talking about. Grrgh! Being in another universe is such a nuisance, especially this one!" Pilaf mentally ranted in a low growl. However, after thinking back to some of the bizarre, practically world-ending anomalies native to Universe 7, this world didn't seem all that much different in terms of sheer peculiarity.
"Then again, ours wasn't much of a paradise either." Pilaf relinquished his previous transgression. Sird, now fully onboard with acquiring the Dragon Balls for her and Team Galactic's own gain, evilly smirked.
"These Dragon Balls may be exactly what we need, Cyrus. Unless, of course, there are some limitations or side-effects involved with using them?" Sird questioningly demanded. In regards to the Dragon Balls' limits, Mai thought of the most prominent one.
"T-There's…erm… a few, actually. After all three wishes are fulfilled, Shenron will disappear and scatter each Dragon Ball across the globe. They'll then be reverted to stone for about a year and won't be tracked by the Dragon Radar until that same year is over." Mai emphasized the limited time frame from which Shenron could appear. She pointed to the Dragon Radar tucked in between Pilaf's arm to further enforce her point.
"I see. Hmph I suppose that won't be an issue if and inevitably when the new universe is created." Sird confidently denounced the Dragon Balls' eventual deactivation as a major issue. The entire Pilaf Gang quizzically examined her in unison.
"If you say so, lady." Shu deadpanned with a tentative shrug. Sird's expression immediately darkened in response to Shu disrespectfully calling her "lady".
"That's Commander Sird to you, dog." Sird glowered angrily. Fearing that Sird would personally lash out at him, Shu stood up straight and saluted her as a sign of loyalty.
"S-Sorry, Commander Sird, ma'am!" Shu tensely shouted. His entire body was rendered completely stiff, including his tail.
"Mmm that's better." Sird pleasantly relished in Shu's discomfort. "Now then, anything else we should know?"
As Shu relaxed his shoulders and blew out a quiet sigh of relief, Emperor Pilaf was uncertain of which Dragon Ball-related information he should disclose. He didn't want to repeat the countless mistakes of his prior "alliances", but in that moment, it was increasingly difficult to do so. Like before, the lives of him and his faithful subordinates were being jeopardized.
"Should I tell them? If they discover that Goku and his… terrifying friend are far older than they look, they'll grow even more suspicious of us and try to gauge their true strength in combat. Even we don't know how powerful those muscle-headed freaks could be!" Emperor Pilaf frightfully guessed, gulping down a lump of saliva building up in his throat. He grit his teeth and looked over the other flaws Shenron secretly possessed.
"It also doesn't help that Shenron can only grant wishes which fall under his own level of strength. Meaning, that universe ending nonsense automatically goes straight out the window!" he continued, criticizing the scope of Team Galactic's plans. His bloodshot eyes darted toward the black and yellow sphere Cyrus's Houndoom was currently sealed in.
"Damnit! What should I do?! If I lie about the Dragon Balls having two wishes left, we'll most likely be in that fire breathing hellhound's stomach in no more than a week's time. But, if I don't, their use for us will dry up just as fast. What do I do?!" Pilaf contemplatively groaned, trying to form a fast compromise between the two bad ideas. He tightly clenched his hand over the Dragon Radar before becoming courageous enough to respond.
"Uhhhhh well…" Pilaf stammered whilst stroking the side of his face. All of a sudden, the elevator doors opened, directly leading to Team Galactic's central laboratory.
"Save it. We've arrived." Cyrus blandly announced. Hands still neatly crossed behind his back, Cyrus, alongside Sird, marched into the facility.
"Thank Kami!" Emperor Pilaf exhaustedly gasped under his breath. Breathing in and out, he looked at the ceiling and prayed in a disingenuous manner.
"Are you alright, sire?" Mai asked her leader in concern.
"Yes, I'm fine, Mai. Just let go of me and follow my lead!" Pilaf hissed, grumbling incoherently as he trailed behind Cyrus. Mai placed both hands on her hips and huffed in minor offense.
"Well, excuse me for caring." Mai sarcastically replied.
As the Pilaf Gang walked in, they were amazed by the laboratory's impressive size. It was a white, two-story chamber with various computers amassed along its four walls. Like in the main control room, Team Galactic Grunts furiously typed away on the internet for the purpose of research-based assistance. The lab's center, on the other hand, was primarily inhabited by cylindrical glass tubes. Strangely enough, all three of them were being generated energy through a main supercomputer of some kind. Said piece of technology, while indeed brimming with life, was being meticulously examined by an elderly scientist. He had mauve-colored hair with four spikes, two of which curved outward atop the ears and two other that overlapped his forehead. The scientist also possessed cold, brown eyes that were partially covered by red, circular sunglasses. To top it all off, he wore a white lab coat over the typical gray-black Team Galactic uniform. Next to him, looking bored beyond belief, was a young, beautiful woman with short, red hair and eyes of the same color. Her uniform was fairly reminiscent of Sird's, sporting a skintight bodysuit that accentuated her breasts and long legs. In contrast to her fellow commander, however, her dress was more of a circular, white miniskirt that didn't conceal much of the waist down. She inhabited long knee-length boots as well.
"How can you afford this many computers and technology?! It must have cost a fortune." Shu inquired amazedly, starting to think Cyrus rivaled Emperor Pilaf himself in terms of technological advancement and capacity.
"Let's just say I have my own… connections of sorts. I've personally made it so Team Galactic has developed a more global-scale influence, after all." Cyrus cryptically justified the wealth and advancement of his organization. Weirded out by this eerily phrased answer, Shu shook his head and moved on with the conversation regardless.
"Wow. You must be pretty loaded yourself then." Shu astutely inferred. "How large is this world anyway?"
"Oh, it's quite massive. As of today, thousands upon millions of Pokémon species have been classified amongst each region. In Sinnoh alone, the landmass you three and those kids have inadvertently arrived, there are approximately 107 native species and an additional 386 migrated from others. Some of which can be considered capable of… unfathomable power and intellect." Cyrus passionately informed with a small grin. Pilaf, Mai, and Shu were left agape by this massive number of strange creatures. Were all of them capable of using the same abilities as Cyrus's Houndoom and Sird's Persian?
'493 total species?! I wonder if that evil-looking monster was one of them.' Pilaf pondered to himself, shivering in recollection of Giratina's so-called bat-like wings and immense size.
"Yes, this world truly is a sight to behold. Even in today's age, there are still species yet to be discovered, lands yet to be explored, and so much more than us sapient beings can truly comprehend. The existence of your universe and many others is proof enough of that fact." Cyrus wistfully exclaimed. He then stopped to angrily glare at the ceiling.
"It's a shame, really, that such potential for perfection had to be so needlessly squandered…" Cyrus whispered in self-evident disappointment. The look of cold hopelessness in the 27-year-old's blue eyes was enough for Emperor Pilaf to immediately regret being transported here.
'It's official. This weirdo definitely has some issues he needs to sort out.' Emperor Pilaf grunted with a disgusted shake of his head. Unfortunately for him, Team Galactic's assistance was their only way of navigating this foreign version of Earth.
"But, enough questions. Since we've arrived at our destination, I'll be needing that Dragon Ball and radar, Pilaf." Cyrus addressed, patiently holding out his hand. Pilaf grimaced and protectively hovered an arm over his so-called "property".
"Why? Can't I just hand them to the scientist guy myself?" Pilaf expressed his reluctance to comply with Cyrus's orders. Cyrus dangerously scowled at the blue-skinned royal's direct display of defiance
"That wasn't a request. Give them to me." Cyrus monotonously commanded. Cyrus's profuse, nightmare-inducing glare caused Pilaf to reluctantly loosen his hold on the two items.
"Fine, fine. Here!" Emperor Pilaf snapped, shoving the radar and orb in Cyrus's pale hands. The leader of Team Galactic gently held onto them, expressing his gratitude with a slow nod.
"Much obliged, Emperor. As promised, I'll give them back once Professor Pluto properly examines them." Cyrus assured the on-edge Pilaf Gang of his intentions. Emperor Pilaf rolled his eyes and folded one arm over the other.
"Right. Sure you will." Pilaf sarcastically trusted Cyrus's word. Not caring in the least about Pilaf's unruly attitude, Cyrus approached his other two commanders without another word.
"I would suggest minding your attitude around Cyrus, brat. He's capable of much more than just saying blind threats." Sird maliciously warned Pilaf of Cyrus's ruthless nature.
"Greetings, Mars and Charon." Cyrus made himself known. Charon casually turned around to greet his leader while Mars sported a look of lovestruck happiness.
"Ah, Cyrus and Sird. Your arrival here is most unexpected, yet not very intrusive at the same time." Charon sniggered pleasurably. Mars speedily bowed to the floor, basking in Cyrus's glorious presence.
"Master Cyrus, sir! You're back!" Mars gasped delightedly with a close-eyed smile. Realizing the awkwardness of her enthusiasm, the young commander attempted to calm herself down.
"Err… I mean… are you doing well?" Mars hesitantly asked with a faint tinge of red in her cheeks.
"Better than usual. I appreciate your consideration, Mars." Cyrus replied in typical disinterest. Sird haughtily looked down upon Mars's timid nature with a red-lipped smirk.
"I'm impressed, Mars. Loyal and considerate too? How surprising for you." Sird mocked her fellow commander's fangirlish loyalty to Cyrus.
"Whatever, Sird. I'm only giving Cyrus the respect he deserves for forming this organization… unlike you." Mars snorted disrespectfully as she got off the floor. Sird frowned at Mars's retort in building anger.
"Care to repeat that? I hope you realize I'm still your superior officer." Sird reminded Mars challengingly. The Pilaf Gang viewed this argument in relative silence, having no idea what was happening right then.
"Tsk. As if. I bet you just love having superior in your title, huh?" scoffed Mars as she crossed both arms underneath her chest. As lightning bolts began to clash between their respective glares, Cyrus swiftly regained control of the conversation at hand.
"Enough, ladies. Don't forget that we have guests to introduce." Cyrus calmed both high-ranking trainers. Mars blinked a few times, looking around the entire laboratory to see who Cyrus was referring to.
"What kind of guests, Master Cyrus?" Mars curiously asked. Without speaking, Cyrus gestured toward all three members of the Pilaf Gang. Pilaf's elven ears and blue skin automatically caught her off-guard.
"Huh? Is that a Shiny Impidimp with clothes on? I thought they were only indigenous to the Galar region." Mars pointed out in befuddlement. In response to being called such a ridiculous name, Pilaf's temper began to steadily boil.
"I-Impiwha? How dare you?! I'm the great Emperor Pilaf, you redheaded bi—" Before his furious rant could even start, Pilaf's mouth was suddenly up covered by Mai and Shu. They didn't want a repeat of the Persian incident.
"Ahem sorry about that, miss. The boss doesn't like being made fun of for his appearance." Shu apologized in a half-hearted chuckle.
"Or for the fact that he's short either." Mai added with a raised finger. Pilaf kept yelling through their hands, coming out as loud muffles.
"Am I missing something? That dog in a ninja suit just talked too!" Mars confusedly stuttered in disbelief.
"A talking Pokémon, you say? I might need to conduct some experiments on you. Hehehe." Charon chuckled maniacally whilst pulling out a sedative needle from his back pocket. Having terrible memories of the veterinarian, Shu whined and hid fearfully behind Emperor Pilaf.
"Gah! For the last time, I'm not a stupid Pokémon!" Shu yelled defensively, pulling out his now non-existent katana.
"Oh? Then what, if may ask, are you then?" Charon questioned with an even greater amount of intrigue. That was where Cyrus stepped in, attentively picking up where he left off.
"That's what I was attempting to explain, Charon. You see, these three… well, peculiar children are extraterrestrial visitors from another version of Earth. In other words, their home is a universe entirely separate from this one." described the leader of Team Galactic. He directly gestured to said trio, all of them being visibly irked by his description of them as "peculiar children".
"Are you serious?! How did they arrive here?" Mars queried in shock.
"I'm not entirely certain myself. They appeared to have fallen out of a shadowy rift in the space-time continuum and somehow landed here. Apparently, they weren't alone either." Cyrus truthfully summarized the circumstances behind Emperor Pilaf, Mai, and Shu's emergence in the Pokémon world.
"What do you mean?" Charon questioningly sought after more details about the event in question.
"When I was examining Mesprit at Lake Verity, two boys also arrived here from the same portal. The two had abnormally spiky, black hair and transmitted some type of invisible aura nearby Pokémon, including the reclusive Mesprit, were drawn to. I theorize that this same energy, despite my uncertainty of what it actually is, called upon another Legendary Pokémon to create those same portals." Cyrus listed the supernatural abilities Goku and Vegeta seemed to possess.
"Well, if it's a rip in space-time like you've assumed, is there a chance this hypothetical Pokémon could be either Dialga or Palkia? Or potentially even a creature from beyond the foreseeable reaches of Ultra Space?" Charon wondered off the top of his head, recalling the Aether Foundation's recent studies of interdimensional life. Cyrus nodded in support of this concept.
"It could be, yes. If not, there's a likelier chance that it is a Pokémon closely tied with those two. A third member of a trio, much like Rayquaza's role as a peacekeeper between Groudon and Kyogre. There are three Lake Guardians that respectively control emotion, willpower, and knowledge, so who's to say that time and space don't have a third equivalent to be balanced out as well?" Cyrus hypothesized the existence of another entity that could rival Dialga and Palkia in terms of indomitable power.
"It's a plausible theory, so I can't argue against it. There's always that old legend about Giratina to acknowledge, if you recall." Sird pointed out the Renegade Pokémon's supposed prevalence in Sinnoh mythology.
"I thought Giratina was only a myth? You know, to scare kids and such?" Mars thought over Giratina's near-cryptozoological status.
"Even myths hold some sort of truth or deeper meaning, Mars. In a similar case to Kanto's only Mythical Pokémon, Mew, Giratina may disappear and reappear instantaneously. Maybe those portals are projected from it as a failed attempt to leave some type of void in between universes. That's how it was able to visit theirs. But, the main question, as with many universal concepts, is why? Why did Giratina intermingle with the lives of a dimension alien to its own?" Cyrus logically detailed Giratina's thought process when entering Universe 7. Not exactly following this makeshift debate, Pilaf vividly remembered Giratina attacking Shenron in a fit of blind rage.
"Are you guys talking about the dragon thing with black and red wings? Cause I think it might have been annoyed by the Dragon Balls' activating or something." Emperor Pilaf accounted from witnessing Giratina's arrival firsthand.
"That's why it tried to eat us earlier?! Man, we really do have the worst luck imaginable." Mai sighed glumly, shaking her head in remembrance of how close they were to achieving their goals.
"Dragon Balls?" Mars deadpanned with a minor look of repulsion. Amongst hundreds of weird Pokémon names she's heard, Dragon Balls were still a pretty strange name.
"You actually saw Giratina up close?!" Charon choked out in disbelief.
"That's the main topic I was meaning to discuss with you, Charon. From what they've told me, the Dragon Balls are seven uniquely classified orbs that, when gathered together, will summon a serpentine dragon known as Shenron. This Shenron can grant three wishes to anyone fortunate enough to summon him." Cyrus restated the Pilaf Gang's initial explanation, holding up the Four-Star Ball, so Charon and Mars could properly examine its features.
"Three wishes?! That could prove useful in more ways than one." Mars uttered in pleasant awe. Her cheeks began to faintly blush in recollection of her own personal wishes.
"My sentiments exactly, Mars. Unfortunately, once all three wishes are used up, the Dragon Balls turn to stone and scatter once more. A year will need to pass until they can be used a second time." Cyrus identified the Dragon Balls' most crucial setback.
"Hmmm while I'm not one to be interested in studying magic, this Dragon Ball does interest me quite a bit. But, what help would I bring in locating the others?" Charon doubted that he would be much help in making the Dragon Ball expedition easier to handle. Figuring he would say this from the get go, Cyrus fully showcased Emperor Pilaf's copy of the Dragon Radar.
"Care to elaborate on how this machine works, Pilaf?" Cyrus calmly asked the blue-skinned midget. Pilaf looked from Mai to Shu with a passive glance.
"Do I have a choice?" Pilaf sighed in dismay.
"No. You don't." Cyrus honestly replied with no subtle change in emotion.
"Thought so. Alright, the Dragon Radar, as its name implies, is a portable device that can detect the energy signature of a Dragon Ball. Just press the button on top and it should work." Pilaf begrudgingly instructed. Cyrus did as Pilaf recommended and pressed his thumb down on the radar's button, causing a yellow dot to appear on its green map. As promised, the location marked on this map was proven to be Mt. Coronet by Charon himself.
"Fascinating. In spite of being such a small device, it can perfectly display a full map of the entire globe! Might I ask who invented this contraption?!" Charon marveled at the Dragon Radar's technological intricacy. Pilaf shrugged absentmindedly, inwardly grumbling at the thought of his former captive.
"Some woman named Bulma Brief. She's the heir to a company from my universe called Capsule Corp and one of the black-haired kids' girlfriends. The intimidating one with the widow's peak to be specific." Pilaf unveiled the Dragon Radar's humble beginnings. Cyrus gave Charon the Dragon Radar, so said scientist could completely analyze its features.
"A single woman created this; you say?! That's even more impressive to hear." Charon commended Bulma's genius intellect.
"Eh, I wouldn't go that far. Such a small invention was easily replicated by the maniacal genius that is I, Emperor Pilaf! MWAHAHAHA!" Emperor Pilaf burst into crazed, maniacal laughter in split second timing. Everyone blankly stared at the laughing Pilaf, including his own subordinates and the Team Galactic Grunts typing on their keyboards. Feeling a bit embarrassed, Pilaf began to loudly cough.
"Ahem, sorry. Force of habit." Emperor Pilaf briskly apologized. "You do see my point, though, right? I'm certain a fellow evil scientist like you could do the same."
"Well, of course. It's impressive, but not impossible to copy. Is that what you are aiming to accomplish here, Cyrus?" Charon rightfully assumed as he looked over the Dragon Radar's exterior design from back-to-front.
"Correct as usual, Professor Pluto. In order fit the Dragon Ball expedition with our pre-established list of plans, I'm hoping to give all existing commanders a Dragon Radar of their own." Cyrus proposed his idea for tracking down the Dragon Balls at a quick, steady pace. Hearing the reference to all commanders of Team Galactic, Mars quickly grew distressed for some reason.
"Does that—"
"And yes, Mars. That includes Mercury as well." Cyrus lowly droned in response.
"Oh. Great…" Mars groaned, depressively slumping her shoulders at the mere mention of Commander Mercury. If there was one thing Mercury was better at than being quick and resourceful, it was being an insufferable womanizer, especially towards her.
"That's seem like a good idea, honestly. Back in that Giratina thing's home, we caught a glimpse of the other six Dragon Balls being sucked through their own portals. Since Goku and Vegeta went to that lake instead of here, the Dragon Balls could be anywhere for all we know." Mai saw some merit with Cyrus's new course of action. Her unwitting identification of the kids' names also pleased Cyrus in a way.
"Goku and Vegeta are their names, hmm? Good to know." Cyrus made a mental note of what his potential adversaries were called.
"I see. The Sinnoh region is fairly massive compared to most others, so hopefully, the Dragon Balls were only scattered within or near its borders." Cyrus assessed the Dragon Balls' location from past conjecture. Considering this information, Charon lazily pulled out a deactivated Ultra Ball.
"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to take a crack at it then. Come on out, Porygon-Z." Charon called out, pressing the ball's button and opening its topmost yellow-black half. Being unleashed through a large, all-encompassing beam of light, the strange Pokémon known as Porygon-Z appeared.
"Quackawipipi!" The Normal-type cried out in a repetitive series of beeping noises. It was an oval-shaped organism with a red body and head. Porygon-Z also possessed a light blue beak, wings, and a tail that coiled around itself in the shape of a similarly colored ring. Additionally, it sported a short, antenna-shaped appendage on top of its head and black-yellow eyes physically reminiscent of a bullseye or target. Most interesting of all was the fact that Porygon-Z's head was fully detached from its body and practically defied gravity.
'Is… Is that a Space Duck? Guess they do exist after all.' Emperor Pilafs commented on Porygon-Z's weirdly avian appearance. Said Pokémon twitched about, patiently waiting for its creat…erm "trainer's" command.
"Use Lock-On to view this device's schematics." Charon ordered the previously identified Virtual Pokémon. He set the Dragon Radar on a table and allowed for Porygon-Z to work its magic. Upon command, said man-made creature's eyes glowed a bright yellow and converted themselves into the crosshairs of a sniper rifle.
"Poryipipi!" Porygon-Z screeched loudly. The crosshairs produced from Porygon-Z's Lock-On moved around the radar, projecting three-dimensional holograms of its various parts and inner power sources. Charon closely followed along, beginning to become more familiar with the Dragon Radar's basic makeup. Once all of the radar's machinations were revealed in close, proximate detail, Charon nodded in acknowledgement of his Pokémon's helpful assistance.
"That's good enough, Porygon-Z. You may return now." Charon gruffly ordered. He stuck the Ultra Ball in front of his Pokémon, shooting out a beam of red electricity as per usual.
"Poryeep." Porygon-Z chirped happily before being transmitted back into its Ultra Ball. Sticking the ball back in his pocket, Charon photographically memorized Porygon-Z's holographic displays through viewing the Dragon Radar again.
"Alright, I believe I've gotten the gist of this little machine. Creating duplicates may take about a week or so to complete. That is, if I obtain the proper supplies beforehand." Charon approximated how long would take to perfectly replicate the Dragon Radar.
"That's a reasonable enough time as any, Charon. We should be gaining another shipment of technology from Grings Kodai in the next coming days, so until then, make use of what we have." Cyrus fairly instructed his head scientist.
"Will do, Cyrus." Charon responded with a short chuckle. He then adjusted his red spectacles and smirked at the Four-Star Ball.
"Ugh. That Kodai guy gives me the creeps. Are you sure it's wise to trust him, Master Cyrus?" Mars disgustedly winced at the mere mention of Unovan billionaire Grings Kodai.
"I agree that he may be eccentric, but Kodai has proven his own worth to Team Galactic in the past. You can't deny that, in the grand scheme of things, he is quite a resourceful, financially wealthy businessman." Cyrus praised Kodai's help in supplying Team Galactic with top quality machinery and airships. His affinity with producing life-like holograms also proved to be helpful.
"Yeah, almost too resourceful if you ask me." Mars grumbled, feeling suspicious of Kodai's accurate predictions about the stock market and sporting events like the Pokémon Baccer World Cup. At points, it seemed as if he could literally see into the future for some unexplained reason.
"Those trust issues aren't going to do you any favors in the long run, Mars. Cyrus himself is only part of this organization, not the entire whole. As a commander, you should have realized that by now." Sird criticized Mars's lack of trust toward anyone, but Cyrus. Mars hesitated, rarely interpreting Team Galactic from that viewpoint before.
"Sird is correct, Mars. We are all here to achieve a shared goal. Working as one collective hivemind is the central key to making that goal go as previously planned. This includes external sources of assistance that are there for Team Galactic's own benefit and advantage. Understand that?" Cyrus manipulatively chastised Mars. Mars took a shaky, deep breath, fully realizing the error of her ways.
"Y-Yes, Master Cyrus. I'm sorry for my insolence." Mars devotedly bade her leader's forgiveness. Filing through Cyrus's words, Mai took a hesitant look at Team Galactic's grunts. All of them, to her sudden realization, were equally as emotionless as Cyrus himself. Each one meticulously performed the same action, not bothering to look away from their monitor for even a second.
'Is that why these guys all look exactly the same, regardless of gender and age? Creepy.' Mai thought in reactionary uneasiness. At first glance, it really did seem like Team Galactic was some sort of religious, world-ending cult. Only this time, Cyrus actually had the probable means, firepower, and, most dangerous of all, Pokémon to see that aspiration through. That sentiment thoroughly began to disturb her.
"We really did drop in on the worst place imaginable. This won't end well at all…" Mai concernedly thought. She glanced over at Emperor Pilaf and Shu, worrying for their (and, obviously her own) safety in this dangerous, unknown world.
"Now, with that being said, you three will be given the initial task of monitoring those boys, Goku and Vegeta. Since they've already come into contact with Professor Kamado Rowan, I assume they'll be obtaining Pokémon of their own." Cyrus authoritatively ordered the trio. Charon visibly cringed, his blood boiling at the smallest mention of Professor Rowan.
"Grrgh. I should have known that hack, Rowan, would stick in his bushy moustache in our plans. How annoying…" Charon scornfully insulted Sinnoh's most famous Pokémon Professor.
"Jealous that someone rivals your intellect, Charon?" Sird mockingly snickered whilst twirling her purple hair around.
"Bah. Please. There's no question that Rowan is leagues below my own genius. I can invent circles around him!" Charon cockily boasted the massive size of his brain. Meanwhile, the Pilaf Gang were rendered speechless at the prospect of Goku and Vegeta obtaining their own superpowered monsters.
"That Goku brat… with a Pokémon?" Emperor Pilaf whimpered in growing horror. All three pictured a massive dragon-like creature blasting them to smithereens with the aid of Goku's Kamehameha.
"Hehe we're so screwed…" Emperor Pilaf hoarsely giggled with a look of pure terror etched on his face.
"What did you say?" Cyrus asked disinterestedly.
"I… uh… said that this plan of yours might be a bit screwed up because of Goku and Vegeta having their own Dragon Radar to use." Pilaf added explanatorily.
"It works just as well, if not better, than ours too." Mai meekly contributed to the conversation. Cyrus's frown ever-so-slightly lengthened, failing to put this possibility into count.
"They do, hmm?" Cyrus muttered scathingly. He closed his eyes, turning away from the Pilaf Gang to formulate a proper countermeasure to this newfound obstacle.
"Very well then. It appears that your first task as Team Galactic operatives has been decided upon." Cyrus announced, sharing a quick side-glance at the three would-be criminals.
"W-What task is that?" Shu stuttered questioningly. Cyrus dangerously glared at the Pilaf Gang with some form of malicious intent.
"Eliminate their Dragon Radar, no matter the cost. After all I've done for to form this team, I won't allow for two children to stand in my way." Cyrus commandingly seethed in building fury. Instead of being afraid of Cyrus's change in mood, the Pilaf Gang couldn't help, but view his order as laughable.
'Those are some famous last words if I've ever heard them. Oh well! What he doesn't entirely understand, won't hurt him.' Emperor Pilaf nervously chuckled at Cyrus's expense, being aware of the fact that combatting Goku and Vegeta's ki-enhanced abilities was complete suicide. In that particular moment, however, keeping that tidbit a secret was the best option.
"Now, follow me, Sird, and Mars to the elevator. You can select an assortment of Pokémon from our storage facility. Then…" Cyrus advised Emperor Pilaf and his minions. While on board with owning Pokémon equally dangerous as Houndoom, Pilaf still felt uncertain of Cyrus's exact purpose for doing so.
"""Then what?""" the Pilaf Gang asked in unison. Cyrus, Mars, and Sird approached the elevator doors, leading the unlikely trio to their next destination.
"You'll start to practice Pokémon battling." Cyrus responded in the utmost seriousness. Peering at one another with interest, Emperor Pilaf, Mai, and Shu followed the three commanders in hopes of finding out what Pokémon battling precisely meant. All six individuals then squeezed into said elevator and shot down toward the Team Galactic Headquarters' basement.
After Charon was left alone to tinker with the Dragon Radar and Four-Star Ball, his entire laboratory became relatively quiet. All that could be heard was the typing of male and female Team Galactic Grunts as they soullessly stared into their computer screens. While each of them were practically identical in terms of hair, eye color, and facial features, one particularly stood out from the norm. This female grunt, unbeknownst to the distracted Charon, had a more well-endowed body type and dark blue irises. The inconspicuous woman darted her eyes from left to right, making certain that she wasn't being watched.
'Dragon Balls and alternate universes, huh? Wait til' Bongo and Lord Gurumes get a load of this!' She greedily chuckled to herself. Concealing an earpiece underneath her Team Galactic wig, the woman expertly imitated the other grunts and did some research on Sinnoh's mythological background. Drawn on the small microphone was a black, bat-shaped symbol with yellow eyes.
Back at Professor Rowan's laboratory, Goku and Vegeta placed their respective Poké Balls in a table-shaped, healing chamber. This machine was designed with six spherical slots to fit each of a trainer's Pokémon. Whirring to life, a whitish green glow enveloped the Poké Balls containing Chimchar and Piplup until their battle-ridden wounds were fully healed. The black surface then deactivated after a few seconds, allowing Professor Rowan to calmly retrieve both dual-colored capsules.
"There you go, boys. Chimchar and Piplup should be back in relative, working condition." Professor Rowan kindly told. Once the two Saiyans regained their starter Pokémon, they checked over Chimchar and Piplup's encyclopedic entries to see if it worked. Their health bars, while also appearing slightly longer for some reason, were now full as promised.
"Wow! Is healing Pokémon usually that fast?" Goku asked in surprise.
"Yes it is, Goku. With the existence of Pokémon Centers in all major towns and cities, any trainer can relax and heal their Pokémon without a required admittance fee. It's as simple as asking a Nurse Joy for help." Professor Rowan detailed the conditions of an average Pokémon Center. Confused by the reference to this Nurse Joy as 'a', Vegeta also had some issue with a lack of charge for medical aid.
"Doesn't seem very smart from a business perspective, don't you think?" Vegeta gruffly questioned with a raise of his eyebrow.
"Fair point, but they maintain financial stability through government funds from the Pokémon Association itself." Professor Rowan debunked Vegeta's skeptical assumption. Never thinking of how politics worked in this alternate universe (or, to be truthful, at all), Goku contemplatively placed a hand on his chin.
"What's the Pokémon Association, Professor?" Goku asked in sudden curiosity.
"Glad you've asked, lad. This relates to the Gym Leader question you asked a few minutes ago." Professor Rowan warmly chuckled. He then cleared his throat and stoically crossed both arms.
"Dawn and Barry might already be aware of this, but the Pokémon Association is an international, governing body that spans all eight regions. From Kanto to Galar, this organization elects a Chairman that is given the task of maintaining peace between people and species of Pokémon native to their designated homeland. This, of course, includes the establishment of annual Pokémon Leagues." Rowan explained the Pokémon Association's purpose for existing. Barry, still exhausted from trying to relocate this very same lab, groaned at the implied reference to Association Chairmen.
"My mom says Sinnoh's current Chairman is a real piece of work." Barry noted with a bored look on his face. Politics was not something he cared for in the slightest, especially when his mom started ranting about it.
"Eh, it's too early to tell. She hasn't been elected for that long." Dawn fairly acknowledged Chairman Shinra Chiho's potential to improve. Talks of chairmen and regional governments didn't ring any sort of bells for the ever-oblivious Goku.
"My version of Earth never really had someone like that. It's been universally ruled by one ruler, King Furry, for as long as I can remember." Goku truthfully informed. Dawn and Barry grew weirded out by this fact for slightly different reasons.
"One person ruling an entire planet? That's something you don't hear about every day." Dawn commented in slight fascination. Holding such an important position of power just didn't seem manageable.
"Furry?! Pffft what kind of name is that?" Barry gleefully laughed aloud.
"Hey, I'd say it's pretty fitting. He is a talking dog, after all." Goku pointed out. Barry immediately stopped laughing to stare at Goku in a state of bewilderment.
"Your universe just keeps getting weirder and weirder." Barry mumbled as he lightly scratched the back of his head.
"Tsk. I'll never understand how those Earthlings elected a decrepit animal to govern over them in the first place. It almost seems like a bad joke." Vegeta sighed, shaking his head in temporary recollection of the blue-furred beastman.
"You have to admit he's done a pretty good job." Goku giggled back at his fellow Saiyan.
"Whatever you say, Kakarot. Anyways, I'm guessing this League is where those "Gym Leaders" come into play, right?" Vegeta addressed Professor Rowan once more. Rowan slightly nodded in visible confirmation.
"Right you are, Vegeta. See, Gym Leaders are exceptionally talented Pokémon Trainers that serve to challenge newly-licensed ones, much like you two, Dawn, and Barry. They are handpicked by the Chairman him or herself through a short examination of sorts." Professor Rowan detailed the process of becoming a so-called Gym Leader.
"Once an examinee attains the title of Gym Leader, they will choose to specialize in a single typing that suits them best. For Sinnoh, this includes the Rock-type gym of Oreburgh City, the Grass-type gym of Eterna City, etcetera, etcetera. In total, for every region, there are around eight official Pokémon Gyms to do battle in." Rowan continued, revealing the single-typing requirement that most Gym Leaders, with the notable exception of one, seem to follow.
"Eight Gym Leaders? Are they strong?" Goku hopefully wondered.
"Well, it all depends, Goku. Based on the order a trainer encounters each Gym, levels will grow in tandem with the amount of experience points their Pokémon are likely to achieve. With increased levels, there comes a more likely chance for advanced battling mechanics and strategy to take place. So, yes, in a way, all of them are strong battlers." Professor Rowan affirmed Goku's hopes of a challenging battle for his Chimchar.
"Feh. Don't get your hopes up, Kakarot. I doubt they'll be any sort of match for you and me." Vegeta doubted the Gym Leaders' skill in comparison with theirs.
"Glad that your modesty is on full display, Vegeta." Roseanne sarcastically deadpanned from the sidelines. She was in the process of gathering supplies for "cleaning" Sandgem Beach.
"I'm only telling it like it is. You've seen what the bird and Kakarot's monkey were capable of pulling off." Vegeta matter-of-factly replied. Roseanne shivered in remembrance of the deep crater produced from Chimchar and Piplup's energy-based clash.
"Can't argue with you there." Roseanne weakly muttered, going back to organizing her small toolkit.
"I have no doubt you two will go far in this league, but arrogance isn't ever the right call. However, if you do win, each victory will be memorialized by an indicative badge. These badges, once all of them are in your possession, can allow for higher-level Pokémon to obey you if captured." Professor Rowan identified the prize for conquering every single Pokémon Gym.
"Speaking of levels, do you think Chimchar and Piplup obtained some experience from their battle with another?" Goku spared a wondrous glance at Chimchar's Poké Ball.
"Hmmm good question. Take a look for yourself. I'm certain the usage of your ki helped benefit their progress." Professor Rowan suggested to the two martial arts. Abiding to the elder's suggestion, Goku and Vegeta opened up their individual Pokédex once again. Dawn and Barry curiously peeked over Goku's shoulder, attempting to see how much experience his starter obtained.
"Hmph. It appears Piplup went from Level 5 to Level 9 after our battle." Vegeta read directly from Piplup's entry. Professor Rowan was greatly impressed by these fast results.
"Huh, Chimchar did the same. My Pokédex says he learned a Fire-type move called Ember as well." Goku beamed with a joyful smile. Barry's jaw loosely hung open, annoyed by the fact that he was now behind Goku and Vegeta in terms of battling experience.
"Four levels already?! Grrrgh that's not fair!" Barry whined aggravatedly.
"Tur!" Turtwig fully agreed with his trainer.
"Come now, Barry. You'll get your chance to battle soon, so be patient." Professor Rowan calmed Barry's anxiousness. The blonde-haired teen huffed, childishly crossing his arms alongside Turtwig.
"Fine. I'll wait… I guess." Barry impatiently grumbled. The aforementioned Tiny Leaf Pokémon rubbed against his pantleg as a sign of comfort.
"Did Piplup learn anything, Vegeta?" Dawn thought it best to ask.
"Yeah, he learned…" Vegeta froze in place to roughly facepalm himself. "You've got to be shitting me."
"What is it?" Goku asked, taking a short peak at Vegeta's Pokédex screen. Vegeta pointed toward Piplup's current move pool.
"That. What kind of an asinine "move" is Bubble?!" Vegeta uttered in resolute humiliation and anger.
"Hey, it may sound weak, but at least, your Piplup has an actual Water-type move now. That could come in handy with his Torrent ability." Goku interpreted Bubble from a more positive viewpoint.
"That doesn't matter! A Pokemon in my possession shouldn't be… ergh… blowing bubbles. It's humiliating." Vegeta grumbled with a tight grimace.
"Well, you either keep complaining about it or wait til a stronger Water-type move comes around. What's it gonna be, Mr. Royal Pain?" Dawn chastised Vegeta's unruly behavior. She place both hands on her hips and expectantly glared at him.
"Grrgh. You're playing with fire, girl. I suggest you back off." Vegeta lowly snarled back.
"With Goku here, I'd like to see you try." Dawn smugly challenged Vegeta with a small smirk. Said Saiyan Prince clenched his fists in anger.
"You know, seeing Veggie overreact does calm me down. Hehe." Barry snickered amusedly. A drop of sweat tricked down Turtwig's head in response.
"No comments from the damn peanut gallery, Blondie. You're getting on my last nerve as well." Vegeta snorted irritably, pointing a finger straight at Barry. Professor Rowan slumped his shoulders in dismay, wondering why the quartet couldn't just get along for the time being.
"Enough, everyone! We're almost finished here, so settle down." Professor Rowan shouted in temporarily lost composure. Hearing his raised voice, the four kids patiently waited for him to continue his introductory lecture.
"That Vegeta's a ticking time bomb just waiting to blow up. Arceus forbid if he actually loses a battle." Roseanne thought while straightening her green locks. She hoped that she wasn't around to experience that frustration-laced tantrum.
"Now, where was I? Ah, yes. Accumulating all eight badges will also grant you access to the Lily of the Valley Conference, a tournament where Pokémon Trainers from all across Sinnoh compete against one another in elimination-style combat. These competitions are usually comparable to a major sporting event in terms of mass popularity." Professor Rowan pleasantly emphasized the sheer importance of Sinnoh's Lily of the Valley Conference to its inhabitants. Feeling familiar with this type of setup, Goku could not contain his excitement for eventual battles to come.
"Now, that's something I can get behind! It reminds me a lot of the World Martial Arts Tournaments I participated in back home!" Goku happily reminisced about the past battle arenas he fought in.
"Martial arts tournaments?! Man, no wonder you're so strong!" Barry complimented in amazement.
"Well, a lot of other factors contributed to my power, but you're not wrong. I'm stoked to see if Chimchar can experience similar results!" Goku whooped anticipatedly with a clutch of his one and only Poké Ball.
"That's not all, Goku." Professor Rowan continued with his heartfelt explanation. "Winners of the Lily of the Valley Conference are additionally given admittance to battle Sinnoh's Elite Four. These four trainers, much like the Gym Leaders before them, are absolute masters of a single typing. However, there's a good reason for them to be called elite. Even the most promising of newcomers have proven no match for their Pokémon battling aptitude."
"Wow… I wonder if I'll be able to see those guys in action someday." Goku whispered in slight awe, trying to picture the type of people this Elite Four could contain.
"You just might, actually. The Elite Four members tend to interact with Sinnoh's populous for the purpose of maintaining order between them or giving out advice to fledgling battlers. Simply put, their position of authority isn't limited to participating in tournaments. Even they have a goal to personally strive for." Professor Rowan elucidated more information about the Elite Four's shared purpose.
"What kind of goal?" Goku asked with a tilt of his head. Close by, Vegeta attentively listened in.
"Claiming the title of Sinnoh League Champion for themselves." Professor Rowan seriously revealed the end-all be-all of any trainer's goal for battling excellence.
"As with every other region, the Champion is Sinnoh's most powerful trainer. They are typically prodigies in terms of sheer battling prowess and have an unbreakable bond with their chosen team of six Pokémon. It could even be said that they're in perfect sync with them on the battlefield." Professor Rowan profiled the credentials involved with being considered a Champion, or Pokémon Master. The aforementioned sync between person and Pokémon seemed to apply with the Saiyans' recent ki transfer.
"That's not all. Champions hold power rivaling that of the current Chairman and are usually asked for direct guidance in solving region-wide conflicts. Like the Elite Four, he or she doesn't stop their journey as a Pokémon Trainer after attaining such a title. This much can be said for our youngest and most current champion, Cynthia Carolina." Professor Rowan further explored the responsibility a Champion is expected to uphold at all times. Goku grew interested in knowing the type of individual this Cynthia woman was.
"Cynthia, hm? Is she really that good?" Goku absentmindedly questioned. Barry sported a wide, buoyant smile, practically fanboying over Cynthia's past achievements.
"Oh yeah, she's awesome! Her ace, Garchomp, is an absolute beast in battle! I don't think it's ever lost once!" Barry enthusiastically marveled over Cynthia's first and strongest Pokémon.
"I personally prefer her Togekiss. I hope I'll be able to catch one of my own someday." Dawn sighed as she wistfully cupped her cheeks.
"All of her Pokémon are quite a force to be reckoned with, yes. Even more incredible was the fact she became Champion at the ripe young age of 12-years-old." Professor Rowan proudly commended Cynthia's accomplishments. He couldn't believe ten whole years have passed since that legendary moment took place.
"12-years-old? Strange. That was the same age I fought Jackie Chun if I'm remembering correctly." Goku recognized the strange similarities between Cynthia's experiences and his own.
"Eh that's impressive, but not that impressive. Red Ketchum won the Indigo League at 11 and that was against his own rival!" Barry referred to another Champion's performance and journey as equally profound.
"Regardless, Cynthia's achievements as a Pokémon Trainer cannot be scoffed at. She's used her position as Champion to delve deeper into the folklore and mythology of Sinnoh than anyone else has beforehand. This isn't surprising since her grandmother, Professor Karashina Carolina, is a very close colleague of mine." Professor Rowan laughed in near-fatherly admiration of how grown up Cynthia has suddenly become. He then regained his composure and grew serious once more.
"The main point I'm trying to make is that you four have a lot to learn about Pokémon before even thinking of standing toe-to-toe with the likes of Cynthia, especially Goku and Vegeta." Professor Rowan reminded them of their current status as beginning Pokémon Trainers. He heavily breathed in and out, glaring at them with keenly focused black eyes.
"Now, after everything you've just heard, are you ready to become officially licensed Pokémon Trainers and explore Sinnoh from start to finish?" Professor Rowan thoroughly questioned their dedication to the new journey at hand. Goku, Vegeta, and the others looked at each other in silent, unified resolution.
"Do you even have to ask? Me and Chimchar here are in this together!" Goku cheerfully proclaimed. After giving Rowan a thumbs up, Chimchar's Poké Ball shook around and suddenly popped open. This action relieved Chimchar of its initial rest.
"Chimchim!" The Chimp Pokémon cried with a confident smile.
"Someone's excited. Hehe." Goku chortled at his Fire-type starter.
"Same here! I'm going to make my dad proud, even if it kills me!" Barry wholeheartedly promised whilst jerking a thumb at his chest.
"Turtur!" Turtwig growled with a direct imitation of his trainer's conviction.
"Make that three." Dawn cheerfully added as she held out three fingers.
"Pippiplup!" Her Piplup chirped with excessive sass.
Vegeta took a moment to properly respond, examining his Poké Ball and Pokédex in notable chagrin. Seeing as how Goku agreed to participate in this "journey", the Saiyan Prince figured he should play along for the sake of regaining his original age and body. He then followed everyone else's example and lazily opened up his own Piplup's Poké Ball.
"Pip plup?" Piplup stuttered, confusedly looking around to examine his surroundings. He timidly tilted his head to look up at Vegeta.
"The Dragon Balls are our real goal here, but if Kakarot's on-board with this Pokémon training, I won't be too far behind." Vegeta surmised in an uncharacteristically calm tone.
"P-plup!" Piplup agreed with much more confidence and fierceness than before. Satisfied with these answers, Professor Rowan nodded at all four potential trainers.
"Good to know. Now that that's settled, bring out the camera, Roseanne." Sinnoh's eldest Pokémon researcher calmly ordered his assistant. Immediately aware of what Professor Rowan was intending, Roseanne took out a digital drawer from the laboratory's drawers.
"Stand still for a second, everyone." Roseanne politely requested. She took quick, first-person perspective photographs of Goku, Dawn, Barry, and Vegeta in that exact order. On purpose, Roseanne activated the flash photography option for Vegeta alone.
"Gah! Turn off the flash next time, woman!" Vegeta growled, desperately attempting to ease his aching corneas.
"Oops. Silly me." Roseanne sarcastically apologized. With all profile pictures collected, Roseanne attached the camera to Rowan's personal computer via link cable. She speedily transferred each photo to some form of editing software and began performing some small modifications. After her work was fully complete, Roseanne sent whatever project she made to one of the laboratory's printers. This action ended up resulting in the creation of four ID cards that closely resembled ordinary Driver's Licenses.
"That was fast…" Dawn quietly deadpanned.
"There we go, Professor Rowan. I made some… changes to Goku and Vegeta's personal information, so hopefully that's alright with you." Roseanne considerately informed. Rowan smiled at her, taking the ID cards from her hand.
"Not at all, Roseanne. I appreciate the help." Rowan expressed his gratitude for Roseanne's helpful presence. Roseanne then went back to preparing for clean-up duty while Rowan gave Dawn, Barry, Goku, and Vegeta their designated cards. All four seemed to be blue in color and listed a six-digit ID number, the trainer's name, total amount of money, the Pokédex number (which was 3 for each), something known as battle points, and the exact time from which their journey began.
"Here you are. These cards will be your Pokémon Trainer IDs from now on. Not only will you need them for acquiring direct access to the Pokémon League, they can also hold Pokédollars and serve as a makeshift credit card. Meaning, winnings and other cash prizes can be transferred directly to it after a battle is over." Professor Rowan went over the ID card's use. Barry, enticed by the idea of gaining money through victory in Pokémon battling, greedily rubbed his hands together.
"Oh boy. I can already smell the moola from here." Barry mischievously snickered to himself.
"You haven't even battled yet, Barry. Don't get ahead of yourself." Dawn strictly lectured her friend's materialistic behavior. Barry irritably furrowed his eyebrows, unsure of what Dawn was expecting.
"And that's my fault because…" Barry motioned for Dawn to answer.
"What does 120384 mean, Professor?" Goku asked while closely looking over the large number.
"That's your ID number, Goku. It is used to indicate the registration of a Pokemon you decide to own through capture. Every trainer has one, including Cynthia." Professor Rowan knowledgably cleared up Goku's confusion. As stated, Goku looked around to see that Vegeta had the ID number of 110788, Dawn's was 302209, and Barry had 402207.
"Alright. Thanks for clearing that up." Goku thanked him. Chimchar climbed atop of Goku's shoulder to get a better look at his ID picture. It depicted Goku with his wide smile and a complementary peace sign.
"No problem. Speaking of capture, I have some spare Poké Balls for you to use." Professor Rowan said, walking to the back of his lab. He came back with around twenty or so Poké Balls, all of which were sealed in cylindrical carrying cases.
"You will be given five Poké Balls each. Sorry it isn't much, but I'm certain you can buy more at the local Poké Mart if need be." Professor Rowan organized all four containers by individual trainer.
"Sweet! This is exactly what I was waiting for!" a pumped Barry loudly cheered, shoving the five Poke Balls into his brown satchel.
"Thank you so much, Professor!" Dawn joyfully chirped as she stuffed her own white-pink handbag. Unfortunately, Goku and Vegeta had no such luxury to speak of. They were still in their usual outfits from Universe 7.
"Umm I don't think me and Vegeta can carry all of those. We've kinda got our hands full." Goku anxiously chuckled. He held up the Dragon Radar, Pokédex, and Chimchar's Poke Ball to prove his point.
"I see. There should be a simple enough solution to this problem." Professor Rowan congenially offered his assistance.
"Let's start by handing me the Dragon Radar. I did promise to fix it, after all." Rowan instructed with a laid out hand. Without further delay, Goku gave the slightly damaged device to him.
Walking over to his desk, Rowan set the Dragon Radar down and dug through his belongings. He found two distinctly colored backpacks of a similar brand to Dawn's. One was yellow with the black outline of a Poké Ball on its back while the other was a mirrored white-blue. The latter was thrown to Vegeta while Goku obtained the former.
"There's also these spare backpacks left by past trainers. They're somewhat old, but still functional all around." Professor Rowan gave Goku and Vegeta the proper supplies. Having no major issue with their color schemes, Goku smiled gratifyingly.
"No, this is works fine. Me and Vegeta should manage well enough with this." Goku said, unzipping the backpack to look through its interior. To his surprise, the yellow backpack was spacious to an almost bottomless degree. He placed his Poke Balls into the bag and wrapped both of its straps around his shoulders. Vegeta did the same, minus putting it on.
Professor Rowan reexamined the Dragon Radar's circular design and interface. He pondered to himself, making an educated guess as to how long this project would take to complete.
"While indeed advanced, I should have this up and running in at least a week, maybe earlier. I'll attempt to contact you once it's finished." Professor Rowan promised to repair the Dragon Ball to top, working condition. Goku and Vegeta stared at each other in collective uncertainty of this timespan.
"A week… that doesn't seem too bad. What do you think, Vegeta?" Goku asked his longtime rival.
"I'd prefer a shorter amount of time, but it's good enough based on our situation." Vegeta begrudgingly agreed to give Rowan that exact timeframe.
"Plus, there's always Kakarot's Instant Transmission to fall back on." Vegeta mentally added in case the old man grew unreliable as a source of help.
"Thank you. I'm glad to see you two being cooperative." Professor Rowan resoundingly sighed in relief.
"Don't get used to it, Rowan." Vegeta grunted in annoyance.
"Er-hem, for now, I believe this is where we part ways. Whether it be finding mystical artifacts from another dimension or fulfilling childhood dreams, I still want you four to keep one central task in mind." Professor Rowan passionately unveiled his plans for the group.
"Explore. Explore the entire Sinnoh region and record the entries of as many as Pokémon you can possibly find. Those Pokédex models in your possession can help unlock the secrets to this entire world and what has made it evolve from the beginning of space-time to now. As Trainers, I simply request that you learn to fully understand what it means to train Pokémon and befriend them. They are more complex than we can possibly begin to imagine." Professor Rowan explained the research he wishes for them to participate in.
"No problem! I've had countless adventures in the past. One more wouldn't hurt at all, especially if it means discovering new species just as cool as Chimchar!" Goku agreed to help complete Professor Rowan's Pokédex.
"Char." Chimchar cheeped at his trainer's indirect compliment.
"Good to know. I suppose you can view this as an equivalent exchange for fixing your Dragon Radar." Professor Rowan responded with similar sentiments.
Will do, Professor. By the end of all this, that Pokédex will be filled to the brim with over a bajillion entries. I guarantee it!" Barry announced an absurdly high number in blind confidence.
"There's really not that many species, but fair enough, Barry. Fulfill the success left by Palmer Kurotsugu's name." Professor Rowan encouraged Palmer's son with a soft pat on his shoulder.
"Hahaha! I will and then some, gramps!" Barry cockily swore into the heavens. Professor Rowan shivered ever-so-slightly, hating when people reminded him of his old age.
"Don't call me that." Rowan grumbled back before marching in front of Dawn.
"Kurothuh? That's a moutful of a last name." Goku groaned in ponderous confusion.
"Says the guy who's birth name is practically Carrot." Barry retorted Goku's unintentional insult.
"You got me there." Goku admitted with a small shrug.
"Like my dad did before me, I'll try travel all of Sinnoh with Piplup in toe. That's the best way to make a proper name for myself as both a competent Trainer and Top Coordinator." Dawn proclaimed her long-held dream of living up to her parents' prior successes.
"Well said. I'm sure Lucas and Johanna will be proud of you, Dawn." Professor Rowan assuredly guaranteed Dawn that her father and mother would support her no matter what. Thinking back to the last time she saw her father, Dawn gazed at the laboratory floor in a more downcast expression.
"Mm. I hope so, Professor." Dawn whispered, lightly twirling her braided gray-black hair. She then longingly gazed at Goku and Vegeta, gaining more and more interest in joining alongside them as a companion. The main question was: how would she go about asking?
"It was a pleasure meeting all of you. Keep in touch with me once you've made progress with the Pokédex." Professor Rowan sent the newly licensed Trainers off on their new adventure.
"See ya later!" Goku bade farewell with a wave of his hand.
"Chimchim!" Chimchar waved at the Professor with a close-eyed smile.
"Bye! Thanks for everything!" Dawn picked up Piplup and walked through the facility's revolving doors. Barry sprinted out the door instantaneously, leaving right when Professor Rowan finished his final statement.
"Hmph. You better not slack on that radar, Rowan. Or else I'll damage this Pokédex just as much." Vegeta threatened, squeezing the Pokedex's sides before walking away with his own Piplup. Figuring he should have seen this threat coming, Rowan sat down in a chair and tiredly sighed.
"That Vegeta must have had an unruly upbringing, huh Roseanne?" Professor Rowan presumed, taking another look at the Dragon Radar's caved in glass while speaking.
"He's the prince of an extraterrestrial race that lives and dies to fight. I'd be surprised if he didn't end up like that. Still doesn't make him any less of an ass, though." Roseanne spat in disgust of Vegeta's personality. After a few moments of peace and quiet, Rowan awkwardly stared at his assistant.
"You still need to—"
"Yeah, yeah. Hold your Rapidashes, Professor." Roseanne exasperatedly huffed. She pulled out her own Poké Ball, releasing a Pokémon from it. This Normal-type was a rotund, snake-like creature with white wings. Its skin was yellow with a light blue chin and underbelly, topped off with stripes along the back. It also had circular eyes that seemed forever closed without any chance of opening.
"Dunspar!" The Pokémon weakly cried, outstretching its drill-shaped tail. Roseanne grinned at her trusty companion, greeting it with a firm pat on the head.
"Alright, Dunsparce. Let's get to work." Roseanne addressed determinedly, peering toward Sandgem Beach from the laboratory's windows. She then cracked her knuckled and hurriedly sorted her cleaning supplies alongside Dunsparce, the Land Snake Po
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone