The Palto Adventures Part 1: To Choose a Path Kazuki blinked. A beam of sunlight pierced through the canopy of the trees and woke him. He listened quietly and realized how much he appreciated living deep in the forest, rather then among towering skyscrapers in a big city. The silence was the most pacifying thing about Ancient Forest, not to mention the wide and wondrous variety of pokemon living among the people of Sage Town. Palto, the country just west of Johto, which is just west of Kanto, is the biggest out of the three countries, and for good reason. The land has hot deserts, cold mountains, lonely valleys, endless oceans, beautiful islands, bustling cities, and an over-all utopia feel to it. Kazuki was just one of millions of children about to receive their very own pokemon license tomorrow. Kazuki's friends secluded themselves to their computers, going over battle tactics and starter stats while Kazuki, carefree as he was, just relaxed. " No point in getting excited about an uncertain future. " He said. Kazuki had to be honest with himself, however. He wondered which pokemon he'd choose tomorrow. In Kanto, trainers received their first pokemon from Professor Oak, and in Johto, trainers received their first pokemon from Professor Elm. Palto however, was different. Because of its size, one professor couldn't possibly travel the country giving away pokemon and instead, the gymleaders in each region (sixteen in all) did the job. Another difference was the random pokemon you chose. In Kanto, a trainer chose Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle. In Johto, trainers chose Chikorita, Cyndaquil, or Totodile. Palto was, again, different. The area you lived in, like Ancient Forest, for example, was home to mostly grass types, but lots of other pokemon as well, like flying types, normal types, bug types, and even water types. This complicated the choosing process, so trainers chose " theme " pokemon based on the area. That means that any forest dwelling pokemon could be given away, and they would change each year, so the pokemon given away before wouldn't be given away again. Now Kazuki had a bit of a headache... Kazuki walked home pondering. The more he thought about it the more worried he got. " What if I don't have what it takes? " He thought. He got home just as the sun set. You could see it slightly through the meshy flora that surrounded the town. When he got inside his parents greeted at the door in an unusual way. " Why are you guys acting so strange? " He questioned. They parted to reveal a collapsible bicycle in the front hall. It was black and had a pokemon league decal on the side. His parents gave him a huge hug. " We were gonna give it to you tomorrow, but we couldn't stand the suspense. I hope you enjoy it. " His mom and dad said. He ran up to it and checked it out. He thanked his parents and walked it the closet, but just after closing the door he smelled something wonderful. His favorite meal, Sizzling Rice Soup and Egg rolls! After dinner, Kazuki retreated to his bedroom to get some sleep. It was only ten, but he figured he should be well rested for the next day. He set his alarm, turned out the light and fell asleep... During the night Kazuki woke with a start. He had been dreaming about his triumphant win in the Palto Pokemon League, when he was dragged back to reality. Outside, in the utter silence, he could hear footsteps. He creeped out of bed and looked in to the inky blackness. In the middle of town square, next to the fountain, was an old gentleman. He was dressed in an expensive suit, and on each sleeve was a pokeball, a device used to capture and contain pokemon. These pokeballs, however, were a little different from the standard ones. It was hard to tell in the dim streetlights, but the pokeballs, which were usually red on top and white on the bottom, had black on top and gray on the bottom. Plus, across the front of each ball was a brilliant red " R ". Kazuki saw the man stare blankly in to the woods, like he was searching for something. " You can't hide. " He snickered. Kazuki faltered for a moment and a plant resting on the windowsill fell to the street below! It crashed against the pavement, startling the man. He turned to see Kazuki close the blinds and gave one short evil laugh, before disappearing. Kazuki waited a few minutes before checking outside again. The man had left and the street was quiet as death once more. Kazuki hopped back in to bed and fell asleep, wondering what that strange fellow was doing here, and what he was looking for...