บท 4: For Starters
"So, you and Vegeta are from a race of extraterrestrial warriors called the Saiyans? And Kakarot's your birth name?" Dawn asked hesitantly in a mix of understanding and progressive stupefaction. Ever since departing from Lake Verity to Professor Rowan's laboratory in Sandgem Town, her and Barry were constantly barraging Goku with question after question about his heritage, origins, and basic characteristics. Vegeta, not at call caring about satisfying their childish curiosities, simply followed behind the aforementioned Pokémon Professor with crossed arms and his trademark scowl of resentment. This, unfortunately, left Goku wide open for the duo's makeshift interrogation.
"Pretty much. I crash-landed on Earth sometime after the destruction of Planet Vegeta, so Son Goku's the only name I've gone by for quite a while. It wasn't until my older brother, Raditz, came that things changed." Goku sighed in recollection, his eyes narrowed just thinking of the Saiyan invasion that occurred so many years ago. Dawn, taking note of Goku's strained expression, decided to make her questions less personal for the time being.
"That must have been difficult to deal with…" murmured Dawn in slight sympathy. She couldn't begin to imagine what it would be like to have your identity and biological framework be put into question within the timespan of only one day. While she was raised with both of her parents for the most part, Goku's, on the other hand, were already gone moments after he was born. To believe that your one thing and then told that you aren't years later has the potential to create an existential crisis that many people wouldn't be able to easily break out of.
"You don't know the half of it." Goku replied wistfully, neglecting to mention details about Gohan's kidnapping and his first of many deaths. Barry huffed in continual confoundment, nervously ruffling his blonde hair.
"Wait, if this "Planet Vegeta" was destroyed, does that mean…" Barry cautiously assumed, uncertain if he even wanted to finish that sentence with Vegeta around.
"Yes, brat. Me, Kakarot, and a few others are the only Saiyans left in existence. The others are dead. Nothing can change that." Vegeta impatiently grunted, the unfortunate fate of his people still mentally prevalent as it ever was. He glanced at Barry's widened orange eyes for a moment before scoffing and proceeding his stride. Dawn herself was also disheartened by this revelation, never hearing of an extinct race outside of certain Pokémon.
"Oh. Was it an accident?" Barry continued in stunned curiosity, assuming that some form of natural disaster might have been at play.
"No." Goku and Vegeta darkly proclaimed in unison, each of their auras heightening at the implied mention of said cause. Even though he was long vanquished by this point, just thinking of the tyrannical space emperor was enough to send chills down both Saiyans' collective spines. Especially Vegeta's.
"A-alright, a-alright. If you don't want to talk about it, just forget I asked. Hehe." Barry awkwardly chuckled as he shook both hands in front of him. Sweat was beading down his forehead, perspiring out of fear and newly elicited anxiety.
"Ahem, on a lighter note, who decided to name you Goku anyway?" The black-haired resident of Twinleaf Town questioned with her best attempt at a comforting grin.
"Hmph interesting. Something tells me the two of them have had their fair share of encounters with whatever, or whoever, killed these so-called Saiyans. I wonder if they'll be able to divulge more information in the future." Professor Rowan mused in subconscious fascination, silently listening in on the four's conversation as he navigated them to Sandgem Town. At first, he assumed that this small trip would take a lot longer than usual due to Route 201's typical influx of wild Pokémon. However, to his surprise, many of the Bidoof, Starly, and Kricketots scattered around the area seemed to be avoiding both Saiyans. Whether this was because of their immense power, strange fashion sense, or both, he couldn't know for certain, but the prospect was still fairly peculiar to witness firsthand.
"That was my adoptive grandpa, Son Gohan. He both raised me and served as my first martial arts instructor." Goku revealed happily, an overflowing sense of nostalgia encircling around him as he remembered the days spent with Gohan on Mt. Paozu. Recalling his former caretaker was bittersweet to say the least. While Grandpa Gohan helped inspired him to become the courageous, happy-go-lucky person he is now, Goku was constantly reminded of the fact that he indirectly caused his death. Even though he had no control of his Oozaru form at the time, Goku couldn't help but feel guilty every time the mustached image of Gohan appeared in his head. These conflicted feelings towards the utterance of Gohan's name were somewhat noticed by Dawn.
"I'm guessing something happened to him." Dawn assumed with slanted eyes and a small frown. Goku closed his narrowed eyes and nodded once in confirmation.
"He died when I was younger." sighed the literal man-child, slumping both shoulders as he held back more detailed information about Gohan's passing.
"I'm sorry for your loss. You must miss him a lot." Dawn acknowledged comfortingly, knowing what it felt like to have a loved one suddenly disappear from her life. Despite the fact that her father was very much alive and well, she still had no idea where he could be. As a matter of fact, Dawn didn't even know if he was in the Sinnoh region or not. It was a mystery that intrigued and greatly infuriated her at the same time. But, then again, most Pokémon Trainers had the tendency to go through similar experiences. A notable example was the 3-year disappearance of Red, the former champion of Kanto and one of the strongest trainers in the entire Pokémon world.
"Yeah I do." Goku whispered to himself, looking up into the sky as if he were observing Overworld entire universes away. He then shook his head a few times and smiled assuredly.
"But, that's all in the past. I've made a lot of friends since then. Like Vegeta over there." Goku informed buoyantly, jerking his thumb at the aforementioned Saiyan sourpuss. Vegeta rolled his eyes, scoffing at Goku's description of their current "companionship".
"Tsk. Who said we were friends?" Vegeta sniggered mockingly in continued denial of reality.
"Oh don't be like that, Vegeta. Y'know we're buds!" Goku continued to argue, jovially wrapping his arm around Vegeta's shoulder. The Saiyan prince slapped Goku's arm away, peering at him in disgust and embarrassment.
"Whatever, Kakarot. Whether you like it or not, the two of us are rivals. Nothing more, nothing less." Vegeta lectured authoritatively with a finger pointed at his fellow Saiyan.
"What? Rivals for the goofiest name?" Barry joked with a suppressed chuckle. He stuffed both hands in his pockets, slyly smirking at the alien royal.
"What are you rambling on about now, moron?" Vegeta deadpanned irritably. He side-glanced at the blonde-haired boy with a neutral gaze that slowly began to deteriorate into one of anger every second Barry spoke.
"Just hear me out, hothead! Kakarot, Vegeta, Raditz… those all sound like food! I wouldn't be surprised if Planet Vegeta's really an oversized supermarket or something." Barry pointed out in growing amusement, listing off each name with his fingers. Vegeta's eye steadily twitched at this open lampoon of his former home and given namesake, struggling to hold himself back from exploding on the hyperactive kid.
"Hey, that reminds me! Wasn't your brother's name Tarble? Wonder what he's up to." Goku mentioned with a snap of his fingers, unintentionally adding fuel to the already raging fire that this "joke" was turning into.
"Yes, Kakarot…" Vegeta grumbled in response, disappointedly placing a hand over his face.
"Are you kidding me?" Dawn remarked in disbelief, not expecting Barry's point to be proven more correct.
"Vegeta… Tarble… Vegetarble? Pffft Hahahaha!" Barry guffawed at the coincidental amalgamation of Vegeta's and his younger brother's names. At this point, Barry's fears of his immense power were outweighed by the sheer ridiculousness of this situation.
"Shut up, brat! How dare you disrespect my race?!" Vegeta shouted in exaggerated rage, his black pupils shrunken considerably. Barry held up his hands in faux surrender, his fit of laughter starting to wain just a bit.
"Ok I'll stop… Veggie. Hahaha!" Barry added offhandedly with a mischievous wiggle of his eyebrows. Vegeta clenched his fist with considerable pressure, holding it in front of his face as traces of yellow chi sparked around it.
"Why you!" Vegeta hissed with clenched teeth, preparing to swipe at the energetic 13-year-old. Before all hell could break loose, Professor Rowan stopped in front of a white sign directly leading to Sandgem Town.
"That's enough bickering, everyone. We're here." announced Rowan in an abrupt, yet stern tone. After hearing this announcement, the group of four collectively stopped what they were doing to get a better look at their next destination. Right off the bat, Sandgem Town was a village much bigger in size compared to Twinleaf. Aside from a few smaller cabins connected by intersecting pathways, there were two orange and blue stores that possessed the likeness of a white Poké Ball on their roofs. Further away from these respective facilities was a shoreline that led to the local beach simply known as Route 219 and traces of expansive ocean water. However, by far the most intriguing portion of this area was the very complex Goku, Vegeta, and the others were intending to visit: Professor Rowan's Research Lab. It was a blue tower extending about two stories off of the ground with oval-shaped windows on each side. On top, there were a pair of green solar panels, wooden crates, and sets of antennae that extended skyward. The laboratory also connected to another house with green roofing and a large windmill that had three equally proportioned propeller blades. Additionally, along with being surrounded by a sea of trees, Professor Rowan's renowned domain was blocked off by two black gates that branched off into another trail of sorts.
"Welcome to Sandgem Town, or in other words, the Town of Sand. While it may only have a meager population of 25, it has its own Pokémon Center and Poké Mart as any good town should." Professor Rowan explained, gesturing to the previously mentioned blue and red buildings situated to the right of his laboratory. Goku and Vegeta observed the two convenience stores, curious to know what the exact purpose of a "Pokémon Center" was.
"Pokémon Center?" Vegeta and Goku asked at the same time with raised eyebrows.
"Ah, yes. They are used for the purpose of healing Pokémon after they are either injured in battle or display signs of illness. Think of it as a hospital exclusively made to treat Pokémon and other Pokémon related circumstances." Professor Rowan cleared the two off-worlders of any confusion they might have.
"Oh that makes more sense. Kind of reminds of the veterinarians we have back on our version of Earth. They helped care for pets and other wild animals too." Goku recalled that specific branch of doctors as a similar comparison.
"There's people that do the same for Pokémon here. They're just widely known as Pokémon Breeders rather than vets like you said." Dawn chimed in, helpfully informing Goku of another sub-category for classifying Pokémon Trainers.
"Huh. Good to know." Goku stated appreciatively with a thankful nod. Dawn smiled the same way while Vegeta set his sights on the Poké Mart.
"What type of currency do you have here?" Vegeta asked, putting his anger towards Barry on hold for now. Since Goku and him didn't bring any money before being attacked by Giratina, Vegeta figured that finances would become an issue they would both need to overcome sometime soon.
"Each region relies on a universal source of income known as Pokémon Dollars, or Pokédollars for short. The equivalent to 100 Pokédollars is equivalent to one bill and can be used to purchase the Poké Mart's cheapest items. Poké Coins worth 25 and below can also be obtained, but they've grown quite rare nowadays due to a lack of funding."
"Speaking of Pokédollars, I forgot to empty my Spoink Bank yesterday! How am I supposed to purchase any Poké Balls or Potions now?!" Barry cried out in anguish, slamming a fist on the ground pathetically. Dawn just shook her head in response to Barry's typical antics.
"I'm pretty sure Professor Rowan has that covered, Barry. He is here to help us out, you know." Dawn reminded the boy whilst scratching the back of her head. Barry immediately got back onto his feet, admittedly acting a bit too excited.
"Really?! Does that mean he's going to pay that fine for bumping into me?" Barry questioned happily in surprise, pointing at Professor Rowan as if he committed some type of serious crime.
"Not to be rude, Barry, but I believe you bumped into me that time." Professor Rowan politely corrected Barry's claim with a raised finger.
"And, I don't know if you realize this, Barry, but asking for 10, 000, 000 Poké Dollars is absolutely insane!" Dawn shrieked informingly, flailing her arms once or twice. Barry huffed, comical tears falling as he pointed a finger at the distant horizon.
"That's no excuse! I could have been seriously injured, or worse, dead if the impact was strong enough! My career as a Pokémon Trainer could have been ended before it even began!" Barry justified his actions, raising a fist in sheer determination and passion. Sweat drops collectively fell down Goku, Vegeta, Dawn, and Rowan's heads, their reaction towards Barry's eccentric behavior beginning to slightly mirror one another.
"Oh brother. Why do I even try at this point?" Dawn groaned with a heavy sigh, wondering why she expected anything else from her childhood friend.
"Does his idiocy never end?" Vegeta glowered disgustedly, his eye beginning to twitch even more so than before. Goku, regaining his composure, decided to bring everyone back to the same page.
"Anyways, we should probably get the Dragon Radar checked out. Me and Vegeta need some more info about this world like you promised." Goku proclaimed seriously, tugging the bottom of Professor Rowan's lab coat due to his shrunken height. In response, Professor Rowan shook his head a few times and nodded in understanding.
"Ah yes. Very well then. Let's move along." Professor Rowan coughed awkwardly, instantly regaining his serious visage. He then opened the gates and led all four Pokémon novices along the path at a steady pace, walking through his lab's revolving doors.
"Wow." Dawn and Barry whistled in amazement, marveling the interior design of Professor Rowan's central headquarters. There were two massive computers built into the laboratory's walls, each of them reverberating with green light and active monitors. A single staircase led to the same three windows as seen from outside and shelves filled with whole mountains worth of informational text. In the room's center, there was a rectangular glass table with a brown suitcase lying on top of it. Seating in front of this table was a young woman with green hair and red glasses. She wore a white lab coat with yellow buttons and a blue shirt neatly concealed underneath.
"Hello again, Roseanne. Did you get the starter Pokémon ready?" Rowan greeted with a friendly smile, walking over to said assistant as the others looked around. Seemingly reading a red book while she waited, Roseanne acknowledged her superior with a gentle pat of the suitcase.
"Yep. All three of the little ones are right here." Roseanne chirped with a playful wink. Her smile quickly disappeared at the sight of Goku and Vegeta, not exactly certain if they came from Twinleaf Town or not.
"That's odd. I thought we were only expecting two trainers today. Who are they?" Roseanne asked while tilting her head to the side in reactionary confusion.
"There was a slight… erm… sudden change of plans. I know this may seem hard to swallow, Roseanne, but these two kids are from another dimension entirely separate from our own." Professor Rowan replied, getting straight to the point for Goku and Vegeta's sakes.
"This isn't a good time for jokes, Professor Rowan." Roseanne harrumphed unamusingly, taking off her glasses to wipe her brown eyes.
"I'm not lying to you, Roseanne. These boys, Goku and Vegeta, were sent here by Giratina via a portal from the Distortion World itself. They're what caused that massive explosion in Lake Verity from before." Professor Rowan persisted with his explanation.
"G-giratina?! I've been wanting to study that Pokémon for years now." Roseanne gasped in shock, her eyes slightly widening at the idea of Giratina revealing itself.
"And you may be able to with them around. They seem to possess a great power that attracts the attention of legendary Pokémon. Mesprit, for example, was particularly drawn to Goku for some unfathomable reason." Professor Rowan stated informingly, referring to Goku and Vegeta's mastery of chi. At the offhanded mention of Mesprit, Goku gazed at the laboratory's largest window in slight suspicion and boredom. To his surprise, he saw the pink haired pixie floating in mid-air as it glowed with psionic energy. It giggled at the currently 15-year-old Saiyan, waving at him before vanishing in a faint flash of light.
"There it is again. I wonder why Mesprit's so drawn to me specifically. It didn't have the same reaction to Vegeta from what I saw." Goku thought to himself with squinted eyes, scratching the back of his head in continual befuddlement.
"That's… very peculiar. What type of power were the two using?" Roseanne inquired in a flabbergasted stammer, positioning her body to examine Goku and Vegeta's residing forms.
"It's chi, or life energy. Everyone has it; we've just mastered our own chi to the point where we can grow stronger every time we use it." Vegeta answered begrudgingly, having no patience for repeating information he's already stated.
"Woah! You didn't tell us that!" Dawn yelled out at this new display of information.
"It's something all Saiyans can do. After each fight, whether we win or lose, Vegeta and I can become more powerful than we were before. It requires a consistent amount of training to work properly though." Goku nervously described with a nonchalant shrug.
"Saiyans?" Roseanne wondered aimlessly, never hearing of such a word being used to describe someone.
"It's the extraterrestrial species they are classified as. Apparently, they were a warrior race similar in appearance to humans that initially sported monkey tails." Professor Rowan notified, unintentionally making the sudden intake of knowledge more confusing by mentioning something as strange as monkey tails.
"They're also named after food." Barry mumbled under his breath with a noticeable smirk. Vegeta shivered at the third mention of this already annoying joke, glaring at Barry with narrowed eyes.
"If you say that one more time, I swear to Kami that—" Vegeta's vitriolic threat was cut off by Roseanne approaching him and Goku.
"Ok I get it… somewhat. Even if you are "aliens", I'm still not 100% the two of you are from another universe. Do you have any visual proof I could look at?" Roseanne politely asked with both hands clasped in front of her. In response, Goku revealed the damaged Dragon Radar.
"We have this." Goku simply announced, carefully handing the tracking device over to Roseanne. She examined the odd machine from head-to-toe, immensely confused by its strange appearance and design.
"A canteen? Or oversized pocket watch?" Roseanne guessed while viewing it from different angles.
"Neither. It's called a Dragon Radar. My friend, Bulma, made it to scan magical objects called Dragon Balls. It's broken right now, but usually pressing the button on top will alter the position of its map." Goku explained the radar's basic functions, pointing at its cracked screen and circular button. Roseanne quietly hummed in fascination, spotting the logo of Capsule Corporation after turning it backwards.
"Hmmm not sure what a Dragon Ball is, but this radar isn't something I've encountered in any region I visited in the past. Capsule Corp doesn't really ring any bells either." Roseanne pondered questioningly, her skepticism towards Goku and Vegeta's starting to dissipate. As a member of the scientific community, Roseanne had a close connection to various tech companies both big and small in terms of notoriety. So, not knowing of an organization as evidently advanced as Capsule Corporation was a no-brainer that it existed in some other plain of existence foreign to her own.
"We don't have time for this, woman. All you need to know is that the Dragon Balls are scattered somewhere and we can't afford to let them get into the wrong hands. They're simply too powerful." Vegeta rudely snapped, folding each arm over his Saiyan battle suit.
"Fine you've convinced me. I don't appreciate your tone, though. It's rude to speak to a lady like that, kid." Roseanne huffed in offense, placing both hands on her hips with a childish pout.
"Tsk. As if I'd care what you think." Vegeta scoffed with little care of Roseanne's feelings, not really concerned with befriending the inhabitants of a universe he had no prior intention of traveling to.
"Don't mind, Vegeta. It takes a while for him to grow on people he's just met." Goku comically assured the others of Vegeta's inner goodness.
"Gee I wonder why." Dawn sarcastically mumbled with a noticeable deadpan.
"You have something to say, girl?" Vegeta challengingly questioned, adjusting the position of his head to sneer at Dawn. Dawn just growled at the Saiyan prince, not appreciating his irritable, cocky attitude.
"Now, now everyone. We have more important matters to discuss. Let's start with explaining what a Pokémon is first and foremost." Professor Rowan calmed the heated atmosphere with his assertive voice.
"Finally!" Barry yelled a bit louder than anticipated, relieved that he would be able to get his starter Pokémon fairly soon. This awkward shout of joy caused the entire laboratory to turn uncomfortably silent as Goku, Vegeta, Rowan, Roseanne, and Dawn all gave Barry muddled looks of disapproval.
"I mean… uh… go on, Professor." Barry embarrassingly chuckled with an encouraging motion of his hand. With that, Rowan adjusted his brown tie and elegantly stood in front of the glass table.
"Roseanne, would you hit the lights for me?" Rowan instructed, nonchalantly grooming his white moustache. Sighing, Roseanne gave the Dragon Radar back to Goku and reluctantly made her way towards the light switch.
"Yeah, yeah. Sure thing." Roseanne grumbled, not seeing the purpose in Rowan playing up the theatrics of this speech. After flicking her finger down on the switch, everything in the laboratory turned pitch black before being illuminated by four spotlights aiming at Rowan.
"Was that necessary?" Dawn asked Roseanne as she struggled to shield her eyes from the almost blinding light.
"Don't question it. The Professor has a needless tendency to accentuate the bravado of his speeches. Trust me, I've lost count of how many times he's done this." Roseanne whispered monotonously, deciding not to argue against her boss. She then revealed a handheld recording button from her coat pocket and pressed play.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Bq_tYRBzdg
"He has his own theme song too?" Dawn giggled quietly in disbelief.
"Yep." Roseanne replied with her own amused smile. Preparing to speak, Rowan cleared his throat a few times before gazing at Goku and Vegeta.
"Pokémon, otherwise known as Pocket Monsters or Magical Beasts in the old days, are creatures of unfathomable power and significance. They come in many different varieties ranging from size and shape to even sheer intelligence. A notable distinction between Pokémon as you might have seen are their unique appearances and typing." Rowan spoke with intense conviction, putting his preconceived knowledge of Pokémon to the greatest limit possible.
"What do you mean by typing?" Goku questioned in expected cluelessness.
"Out of the 890 known species inhabiting this planet, each one can be identified by a specific type or subcategory. There are 18 types that can be named as follows: Fire, Water, Grass, Electric, Psychic, Ice, Dragon, Dark…" Professor Rowan listed one after the other of each category with his fingers.
"And Normal, Fighting, Flying, Poison, Ground, Rock, Bug, Ghost, Steel, and… uh… erm… what was the last one again?" Barry interjected excitedly before scratching his head in circumstantial forgetfulness.
"That would be Fairy, dear boy." Rowan calmly reminded him.
"Oh right. I always forget that type exists most of the time." Barry weakly laughed, admitting his rusty knowledge of Pokémon-related mechanics and qualities.
"That's nothing to be ashamed of, Barry. After all, Fairy Pokémon are only native to a select few regions outside of Sinnoh." Rowan acknowledged comfortingly, referring to Kalos, Alola, and Galar as specific examples.
"Frankly, I'm ashamed to hear such a thing even exists. Fairy types? Are you kidding me?" Vegeta commented in disgust at the implied existence of something so non-threatening and cutesy as fairies.
"It's not wise to underestimate any Pokémon based on type or appearance, Vegeta. In fact, all Pokémon have their own strengths and weaknesses based on typing alone. For example, when participating in combat, Fire-types are primarily weak against Water-type Pokémon, but strong against Grass-types. The same goes for Fairy-types tending to dominate any Dragon-types that cross their path." Professor Rowan lectured Vegeta's foolhardy insult toward that specific breed of Pokémon.
"Huh cool. It almost seems like there's an equal balance between all Pokémon." Goku stated in admiration, impressed by the complexity of these animalistic creatures.
"Well, for the most part. A wide majority of Pokémon have the ability to grow stronger through two-stage or three-stage evolutions. This phenomenon either depends on a trainer's bond with their Pokémon or through physical interactions with items and special environments. The growth and development of Pokémon is particularly what I specialize in." Professor Rowan explained Pokémon's special way of maturing into adulthood, proudly addressing himself while doing so.
"So, from what I understand, Pokémon are animals with unique abilities and specific characteristics that set them apart from one another? And legendaries like Mesprit and Giratina can be considered almost mythological in terms of strength?" Goku played back all of the details Rowan shared with him and Vegeta.
"Correct. Legendary Pokémon are closely tied with the cultures and folklore of each region. Some myths even claim that the entire universe was created by the first Pokémon known to exist." Professor Rowan ponderously mentioned, not even knowing what this infamous creator deity looked like.
"Wow. A Pokémon has the power to make all of this?!" Goku gaped in awe, gazing all around the entire room and areas beyond with widened eyes. His stunned expression then swiftly changed into one of excitement and immense adrenaline.
"It must be really strong!" Goku whooped in glee, toothily grinning at the proposed thought of battle with this specific creature.
"Calm yourself, clown. This Pokémon is probably not all it's cracked up to be. I highly doubt a creature that can so easily be caught by ordinary people is anything to be interested in." Vegeta reprimanded Goku for his battle-ready joyfulness, unconvinced of this supposed "god's" high potential. Since the Supreme Kais were proven to be much weaker than their ruthless counterparts, the Gods of Destruction, Vegeta's skepticism was completely justified.
"I guess that's a good point. Why are Pokémon called Pocket Monsters anyway, Professor?" Goku addressed the more prominent aspect of Pokémon and their close relationship with human beings. Waiting for this moment from the get go, Rowan signaled for Roseanne to turn on the lights and deactivate his audio recorder.
"The answer to that question, Goku, can be found in this very briefcase." Rowan proudly introduced, opening the brown bag to reveal three Poké Balls.
"Poké Balls!" Dawn recognized in heightened elation. Her career as a Pokémon Trainer was right around the corner at this point.
"Yesyesyesyesyesyesyes!" Barry speedily chanted to himself while hopping in place. His excitement to receive his first Pokémon was evident from the radiant sparkle in both of Barry's orange eyes.
"What are those?" Goku curiously asked, examining the single row of red-white spheres with great intent.
"Poké Balls are portable devices that are used to capture Pokémon. When physical contact with a Pokémon is initiated, these balls pop open up and convert them into white light. A trainer can then claim ownership of the Pokémon they encounter after three successful wiggles. However, the stronger a Pokémon is, the more likely they are to break free, so certain precautions need to be made during each battle." Professor Rowan expounded on the intended usage of Poké Balls.
"Oh ok. They sort of function similarly to Hoi Poi Capsules then." Goku thought back to the technology of Capsule Corp once more.
"Capsules you say?" Rowan queried in response.
"Mmhm they're small pills that can fit vehicles, refrigerators, and whole houses based on the type. Some of are more expensive than others though." Goku answered, detailing the types of capsules demonstrated by Bulma in the past.
"A Poké Ball for items other than Pokémon? That's a great idea! I wonder why no one's tried that before." Barry commented giddily, impressed by the limitless possibilities these Hoi Poi Capsules possessed.
"Maybe cause it's scientifically impossible?" Roseanne blandly murmured with an defiant adjustment of her red spectacles.
"That's not entirely true. Bulma and her dad were able to pull it off." Goku corrected Rowan's assistant with a courteous smile.
"Well, those two are a special case, if they even exist for that matter." Roseanne huffed under her breath, having no visual support of the Briefs' appearances or whereabouts.
"Or you just don't want to admit that they're smarter than you." Vegeta mocked with a condescending smirk. Roseanne glared angrily at the rash prince just as Rowan took the opportunity to speak up.
"Very fascinating. Poké Balls also come in many different varieties based on price, capture rate, and additional effects. For example, the Great Ball and Ultra Ball are quite popular with experienced trainers." Rowan laughed amusedly, further connecting the similarities between capsule and Poké Balls.
"Get on with it, Rowan! What do these Poké Balls have to do with Kakarot and I?" Vegeta demanded to know the purpose of Rowan's suitcase. Rowan closed his eyes and took a deep breath, maintaining his patience towards Vegeta's impulsiveness.
"These Poké Balls will serve as a key to your eventual journey here." Professor Rowan cryptically proclaimed with furrowed eyebrows.
"What do you mean?" Goku asked confusedly, unable to grasp the underlying meaning of Rowan's statement.
"Simply put, you four will all need to become Pokémon Trainers in some way. While each of you may have different goals, personalities, and upbringings, exploring and getting to know this world is integral to achieving them."
"Fah! Like hell we are! Kakarot and I have no time for such childish nonsense. All we need is to fix the radar. Anything else would be a meaningless roadblock between us and our own universe." Vegeta shouted defiantly in disapproval.
"On the contrary, Mr. Vegeta. Based on the damage done to your device, it will take a number of days just to bring it back to working functionality. Plus, due to your age, an official Trainer's License will be required for freely exploring Sinnoh. Otherwise, you and Goku are stuck here until then." Professor Rowan denied each of Vegeta's argument with an almost maniacal laugh. He was beginning to enjoy getting under Vegeta's skin more than he expected.
"Grrgh! Damnit, old man!" Vegeta growled furiously, immensely displeased with the situation he was dragged into.
"It won't be so bad, Vegeta. Exploring this world could also help us find out more about Giratina and what its intentions were." Goku comforted understandingly, patting his rival on the back a few times.
"Whatever. Just leave me alone." Vegeta grunted irritably while massaging the bridge of his nose. He then turned his back on Professor Rowan and brooded to himself.
"Yeesh. Drama Queen much?" Dawn whispered in Goku's ear with lighthearted snigger.
"I heard that!" Vegeta snapped with a prominent tick mark protruding from his forehead. Goku, Dawn, and Barry gazed at him dumbfounded before shifting their focus back on Professor Rowan.
"So, how does getting that license thing work exactly?" Goku inquired with a ruffle of his spiked black hair.
"Easy. You choose one of these Pokémon to start with." Professor Rowan warmly responded, grabbing each of the Poké Balls from their slots and tossing them upward. Before Goku's very eyes, the orbs popped open and unleashed fiery beams of light. These white energy streaks slowly took the form of three individual creatures. In a horizontal line, they curiously looked around the peculiar environment that was Professor Rowan's laboratory.
"Tur!" A green tortoise-like Pokémon squealed happily. Positioned to the far left, it possessed four green-yellow legs and a brown shell with one single black stripe extending from right to left. The Grass-type also had a twig with two green leaves growing out of its head and oval-shaped yellow eyes. Its lower jaw was predominantly etched into an innocent, happy-go-lucky smile as well.
"Chim-char!" The centermost starter cheered with closed eyes. It was a bipedal orange monkey with light yellow hands, feet, and ears. The Fire-type Pokémon also sported a tail of burning flames and swirly hair on its head. Additionally, there were red markings completely surrounding its large brown eyes as well.
"Pip Pip-plup!" The Water-type chirped confidently with blue wings placed on its sides. It seemed to be a small penguin with a short, yellow beak and two stubby feet of the same color. Its face was primarily white with dark blue eyes and a cloak of blue feathers encircled all around the head area. The Pokémon's back was also partially concealed by a makeshift cape comprised of that same plumage.
"May I introduce Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup. They are the respective starter Pokémon for all trainers starting out in Sinnoh." Professor Rowan identified each Pokémon with a direct hand gesture. While Vegeta could care less, Goku, Dawn, and Barry were greatly pleased by the starters' unique appearances in comparison with the various Starly seen earlier.
"They're all so adorable!" Dawn cooed fondly; her attention being particularly drawn to Piplup.
"And cool!" Barry added restlessly, his orange eyes staring straight into Turtwig's very soul.
"Could you tell us more about them?" Goku asked politely, tilting his head at the sight of Chimchar. The confused fire monkey blinked a few times and repeated this same gesture, inwardly sensing some sort of unforeseen connection with Goku. Professor Rowan, considering this type of question from the very moment they entered his laboratory, signaled for Roseanne to follow him. The two scientists reached into a drawer and retrieved four out of many technological devices already presiding within. Three of them were red-black in color while the last one was identifiably pink and white.
"I don't need to. All of the information about these starters and every other Pokémon can be accessed in your very own Pokédex." Professor Rowan presented boastfully whilst giving the pink Pokédex to Dawn and a red one to Goku. Roseanne did the same by handing over the other two models to Barry and, with much difficulty and displeasure, to Vegeta as he continued sulking in the corner.
"Essentially, the Pokédex is a digital encyclopedia that can describe any Pokémon's measurements, habitats, moves, gender differences, and even basic behaviors. Allow me to demonstrate." Roseanne continued Rowan's explanation with the usage of Vegeta's yet to be accepted Pokédex. She opened it to reveal two LED screens, a gray D-pad, and some type of green scanner jutting out of its left side. Without further ado, Rowan's female assistant scanned all three starter Pokémon at the same time. A digitized, almost robotic voice then projected out of the Pokédex's speaker.
"Scanning Pokémon No. 1: Turtwig, the Tiny Leaf Pokémon. It is a pre-evolved Grass-type Pokémon with one common ability, Overgrow, and one hidden ability, Shell Armor. Description: The shell on its back is made of soil. Very healthy Turtwigs have shells that should feel moist. Identified Gender: Male. Specified Nature: Hasty." Vegeta's Pokédex announced informingly in booming monotone. Hearing this entry, Barry tested the validity of this information by petting Turtwig's shell a few times. As claimed, it felt fairy wet and damp to the touch.
"Woah! This thing really does work." Barry stammered in amazement, still continuing to pat Turtwig while studying his own Pokédex. The grassy tortoise seemed to be immensely fond of this special attention, so Barry didn't think it necessary to stop.
"Scanning Pokémon No. 4: Chimchar, the Chimp Pokémon. It is a pre-evolved Fire-type with one common ability, Blaze, and one hidden ability, Iron Fist. Description: It is very agile. Before going to sleep, it extinguishes the flame on its tail to prevent fires. Identified Gender: Male. Specified Nature: Brave." The Pokédex proceeded to describe the details of this particular Chimchar. At the mention of Chimchar's extensive agility, Goku couldn't help, but notice some similarities between him and the Fire-type.
'If I still had my monkey tail, we would be about one and the same.' Goku mused to himself with a wide smile, side-glancing at his currently normal backside. In a way, Chimchar's focus was directed towards the Saiyan as well. Its fiery tail slightly grew and shrunk in a repetitious pattern while doing so, proving the Pokédex entry to be true.
"Scanning Pokémon No. 7: Piplup, the Penguin Pokémon. It is a pre-evolved Water-type with one common ability, Torrent, and one hidden ability, Defiant. Description: A poor walker, it often falls down. However, its strong pride makes it puff its chest without a care. Identified Gender: Female. Specified Nature: Sassy." The Pokédex completed its analysis before immediately deactivating. With her visual demonstration now over and done with, Roseanne closed the Pokédex's screen and offered it to Vegeta. Vegeta, of course, rudely snatched it out of her hands without saying anything else. This caused the green-haired researcher to turn away and sigh in resignation.
"Bulma would definitely get a kick out of this." Goku chuckled lightheartedly in fascination, using the D-pad to scroll through his Pokédex's currently blank sections.
"Why are our Pokédexes empty, Professor?" Dawn questioned out of lack of experience and prior knowledge.
"Of course they're empty, my dear! I want each of you to fill it for me. Explore the world and scan every Pokémon that can be found in this region, even the rarest ones." Rowan laughed heartily in amusement. Vegeta just growled to himself impatiently, about done with the Pokémon Professor's incessant games.
"That does sound amazing!" Dawn commented breathlessly, her anticipation for the future becoming even brighter.
"Feh. The old geezer was probably too lazy to do it himself." Vegeta mentally expressed his bitter sentiments.
"But, before then, you must choose one of these three. Let's start with Goku." Professor Rowan recommended, his preconceived expectations of Goku's potential justifying his final decision.
"Really? Why me?" Goku hesitantly asked with a finger pointed at himself.
"No particular reason. I'm just interested to see which Pokémon you connect with the most, being an alien from another dimension and all."
"Um ok. I guess that makes sense." Goku shrugged in minor understanding, not really expecting Rowan to be so straightforward. He then cautiously stepped forward, glancing from one starter to another for a few moments.
"Hmmmm I'm not very good at making decisions, but…" Goku trailed off as his obsidian orbs closely honed in on Chimchar's. Sensing a vibrant energy in Chimchar that was far more soothing than the other two, Goku nodded contentedly and made his final choice.
"It's gonna have to be Chimchar." Goku giggled childishly, giving the Chimp Pokémon a thumbs up. At the identification of his new owner, Chimchar did an energetic backflip and hopped on top of Goku's head.
"Char!" Chimchar tittered with a toothy grin, turning upside down to look at Goku's own smiling face.
"Hehe it's nice to meet you too, buddy." Goku sniggered in acknowledgement of Chimchar's pleasurable happiness. Rowan, already spotting a powerful bond between the two that could grow even stronger, handed Chimchar's Poké Ball to Goku.
"Make sure nothing happens to this. That Poké Ball is integral to the development of your friendship with Chimchar. Understand?" Rowan gravely warned Goku of the Poké Ball's important significance.
"I do, Professor. I promise that nothing will happen to Chimchar or his Poké Ball." Goku pledged with conviction while tightly holding the proposed ball to his chest. He then looked up at Chimchar's present form, soothingly stroking the Pokémon's back as any other monkey would.
"Good. I'll have your word on that, Goku." Professor Rowan proclaimed, happy with Goku's serious response. The professor then turned over to Barry as he desperately held himself back from moving on ahead.
"Alright, Barry. You can go next." Rowan sighed exhaustively, unable to comprehend how so much energy could be contained in one 13-year-old boy.
"What do you say, Turtwig? Want to come with me?" Barry questioned convincingly with a thumb jerked at his chest. After the session of shell-petting a few minutes ago, the Tiny Leaf Pokémon felt inclined to accept Barry's request without argument.
"Turtur!" Turtwig speedily nodded in agreement, jumping into Barry's arms with a kind smile etched on his yellow jaw. They laughed together in enjoyment of one another's company as it came time for Dawn to pick.
"Alright, Piplup. Meet your new trainer!" Dawn crouched downward to gently pick Piplup off the ground. She then hugged the little penguin to her chest and stroked her cheek against Piplup's in pure adoration. Despite not being accustomed to this amount of touchy-feely contact, Piplup eventually began to enjoy Dawn's attentive pampering.
"What about Vegeta? He should get a Pokémon too." Goku reminded Rowan and Roseanne in concern. Chimchar finally took notice of the temperate warrior, hiding behind Goku's hair in momentary uneasiness.
"Don't worry, Goku. In preparation for a situation like this, my suitcase always contains two other sets of starters." Rowan soothed, unveiling two other compartments below the currently empty Poké Ball slots.
"I don't care about any of this crap. Just give me the one with a type advantage against Kakarot's and be done with it." Vegeta yelled, only focused on the idea of besting Goku in some other category besides hand-to-hand combat. Doing as he said, Roseanne picked up the Poké Ball of another Piplup. However, she seemed to recognize that something was off about this one and grew somewhat nervous.
"Professor, isn't this…" Roseanne's cautious warning was interrupted by the silent raise of Rowan's hand. He closed his eyes and brew out a chaste breath.
"It'll be fine, Roseanne. We don't want to keep Vegeta waiting longer than he already has." Rowan advised in full belief that nothing was wrong with this Piplup. Roseanne, in no room to disagree with her boss's calming words, released the Penguin Pokémon. While it indeed looked the same as Dawn's, this male Piplup was looking around the room as if it were about to be attacked by some unforeseen enemy.
"P-pip… p-plup?" Piplup nervously whispered, sweating like a leaf in heightened nervousness. Dawn's Piplup then broke free from her trainer's grip and attempted to greet the fellow member of her species.
"Pip!" Dawn's Piplup greeted happily in a pleasant chirp. Unfortunately, this friendly introduction did end well in the slightest.
"PIPPPPLUP!" The new Piplup screeched in horror, running around the laboratory as he sporadically flapped his flippers. He gradually picked up speed until slamming straight into Vegeta's leg. At the sight of Vegeta's intimidating death stare, Piplup froze in shock and began shivering like a frigid leaf.
"P-pip… p-pip…" Piplup stammered in reactionary trauma, his eyes resembling that of a white void. An awkward silence permeated throughout the entire facility, people and Pokémon alike having no idea what to make of this bizarre spectacle.
"This is my Pokémon?" Vegeta questioned in disbelief, looking down upon the Piplup as it curled up into a shaky fetal position.
"BAHAHAHAHA! Serves you right for being such a tool!" Barry lambasted Vegeta in amusement, guffawing alongside Turtwig.
"Shut up, Blondie! I swear I'll wipe that smile clean off the face of the Earth!" Vegeta threatened angrily with furrowed eyebrows.
"You're the one who wanted the advantage against Goku." Dawn deadpanned matter-of-factly, tending to her own Piplup as it struggled figure out what went wrong with its approach.
"Says the girl with a bird that can actually function properly." Vegeta snarled argumentatively with crossed arms. Roseanne negatively shook her head in disapproval and decided to defend the traumatized Piplup.
"That's enough, Vegeta! No Pokémon should ever be treated like that, regardless of faults or personality traits! Whether you like it or not, this Piplup is your Pokémon now and it's your responsibility to raise him properly!" Roseanne chastised Vegeta's hateful comments, sympathetically hovering over the nerve-wracked Water-type.
"Roseanne is right, Vegeta. A strong bond between a trainer and his/her Pokémon can't be just obtained without effort. It requires skill, care, and, most importantly, friendship to develop properly." Rowan lectured Vegeta on the standards of a healthy Trainer-Pokémon relationship. Wanting to throw up at the mention of such lovey-dovey crap, Vegeta played devil's advocate and scoffed in frustration.
"What do you expect me do then, huh?! This catatonic ball of fluff here obviously isn't going to cooperate. The damned thing is terrified of me for Kami's sake!" Vegeta lashed out, pointing to the male Piplup as it avoided eye contact with Vegeta's piercing black ones. Realizing the theoretical corner Vegeta was needlessly dragged into, Goku looked at Chimchar for guidance before speaking up.
"How about a battle?" Goku calmly suggested, setting Chimchar down on the floor. Vegeta, Dawn, Barry, and the others peered at Goku's idea in confusion.
"Would that even help, Goku? I don't think this Piplup is in any condition to fight." Dawn wondered in uncertainty while timidly scratching her cheek.
"Think about it. Since me and Vegeta are rivals, having Chimchar and Piplup battle one another could help establish our bonds a little better. After all, as I've learned in the past, experiencing how someone fights is the key to understanding how they act as people in everyday life. Pokémon and Pokémon Trainers should be no different." Goku wisely justified the purpose of his suggestion, referring to the previous battles he's had with Vegeta and many other opponents as direct evidence.
"Fine. I accept your challenge, Kakarot." Vegeta reluctantly acknowledged the sound logic of this idea, inwardly smirking at partaking in another battle with Goku.
"This will help you four get to know the basic rules and setup of professional Pokémon battles, so I don't see a problem with it. However, I suggest you do it in Route 202 where my laboratory or any other homes in Sandgem Town won't be damaged." Professor Rowan maturely advised the safety regulations of this once in a lifetime battle. Goku nodded enthusiastically, his adrenaline and thirst for combat, even if indirect, starting to kick in.
"Will do, Professor Rowan." Goku agreed truthfully with a smile, directing his attention back to Chimchar.
"You ready to battle with me, Chimchar?" Goku asked hopefully, crouching just a bit to look at the Fire-type monkey face-to-face.
"Chimchim!" Chimchar confidently smirked, raising up his clenched in preparation to fight. Liking the Saiyan-esc spirit of this Pokémon, Goku gave Chimchar a fist bump and ran out the laboratory's revolving doors.
"Alright then! Let's go!" Goku cheered gleefully, running toward Sandgem Beach with Chimchar following closely behind. Vegeta, glaring at his incredibly anxious starter, sighed and roughly picked him up using said bird's "cape" for extended support.
"Come along now. We've got a battle to win, so you better not embarrass me." Vegeta glowered spitefully, neutrally staring into Piplup's distressed eyes. Piplup gulped down a building lump in his throat and nodded hesitantly.
"P-pip." Piplup squeaked quietly, his nervousness not entirely exaggerated as it was before. Vegeta then clutched Piplup's Poké Ball and his Pokédex in the other hand, and slowly stomped toward the planned battlefield. Dawn, Barry, and their own starters goggled at the two Saiyans, feeling curious towards the type of Pokémon battle this confrontation will end up being.
"Do you think Goku and Vegeta are combat experts like they said?" Dawn questioned aloud, still a bit shaken by Vegeta's display of chi earlier. Barry stroked his chin multiple times, thinking of a proper response.
"They have to be. The stone-cold fierceness in Veggie's eyes is enough to know he's been through a lot. Goku is no different." Barry seriously admitted, his orange eyes narrowed in deep comprehension.
"But that's so… odd. They're around our age." Dawn stammered doubtfully, unable to think of any 15-year-olds that could do what Vegeta and Goku did. Rowan and Roseanne cut into their conversation, signaling for them to move around.
"All we can do now is find out for ourselves. Goku and Vegeta are obviously more special than they claim to be." Rowan darkly proclaimed with squinted eyes. With that last thought, the quartet of Pokémon Trainers and Researchers walked onward to view an important battle that would, unwittingly, change the course of their very lives.
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