The expedition to Mr. Pokemon's house would lead Binx Bradley and his Vulpix straight through Cherrygrove City. The walk was a long one, as it was nearing dusk, and Binx had just made it past the flowered 'welcome' sign.
He had stopped only twice along the way; once to eat, and once to rest out of the heat. He had since returned his Vulpix to its pokeball because, even though the harsh sunlight didn't phase it much, the long walk did.
Binx's feet were weary, and his body was aching, yet he still marched forward. He barely noticed the scents of lilac and honeysuckle filling his nose more and more as he traipsed through town. Finally, he passed the source of the fragrances - a large garden marking the center of town.
People noticed him and shot curious glances his way from time to time, but Binx didn’t notice that they noticed. He was so used to being glossed over that he didn't even think anyone would see him. He paid them no attention and continued on his way out of town.
The sign he passed at the edge of the city was no different than the first, but Binx didn't see it. Looking at his map and picking up his pace, he turned onto a beaten path that the map said would lead him directly to Mr. Pokemon.
Professor Elm had scribbled the words 'Safest Way' in bold black letters at the bottom of the map and traced the way in red. The poor boy hoped this was the safest way because he really didn't feel up to anything right now, not to mention a battle. The tall grass and trees on either side of him were a bit intimidating, but he didn't let that stop him.
The sun was slowly passing the horizon on its way to the other side of the world, and Binx was nearing his destination. At last, his stomach once again empty, and his legs numb, Binx made it to a clearing. Hidden down this long path and shrouded within the woods, Mr. Pokemon's house stood tall in front of him.
Binx couldn't help beginning to run, against the excruciating pain in his back and legs. He ran as fast as he could, using all the energy he could muster. He couldn't shake his thoughts of finally eating and getting some sleep, and this fueled him even more. A few berry trees passed him on his was as he made it up the steps onto the porch.
"Yes?" a deep male voice inquired as Binx was catching his breath.
"I'm...(gasp)..Binx...(gasp)...Bradley...(pant)...Professor Elm...(puff)..." he trailed off.
The door opened, and a gray-haired old man strolled out onto the porch. "Ahh...I hear you've gotten into quite a pickle..."
"Yeah, I guess (puff) so, huh?"
The old man laid his hand on the boys back. "Why don't you come in and get yourself something to eat?"
Binx followed Mr. Pokemon, who was much older than he had expected, into his house. The living room was small and consisted only of a chair, a couch, a couple tables and a radio. "I don't care much for television, much to your disappointment, I'm sure," he said. "This way to the kitchen."
The kitchen was much more spectacular than the living room. A carved wooden dining table sat at the center holding fresh cut flowers as a centerpiece. Dark green marble covered the counters and floor, and cherry wood constituted the cabinets. Of course, there was a stove, refrigerator, and microwave, but they didn't detract from the overall beauty of the room.
"I'm afraid I don't have much of a selection here. I usually keep it simple." Mr. Pokemon said as Binx removed his heavy pack and sat at the table. "I do hope you like cheeseburgers..."
Binx smiled. He was so hungry right then, he would have eaten his centerpiece if he had offered it. "I don't think we're going to have a problem there, sir." Cheeseburgers sounded much better than eating flowers.
While Mr. Pokemon was cooking the food, Binx got a chance to see the man in the light. He was a bit older than Binx had initially thought, late fifties maybe, and his gray hair was thinning in the back. His posture, however, couldn’t have been better for a man his age. He was a few inches taller than Binx, and he looked as if he had never had back pain in his life, as he carried himself very well.
The smell of burgers soon began to fill the air. "So, how is the good Professor these days? And be honest, or I'll know," Mr. Pokemon asked while he was flipping one of the burgers on his stove.
"Well, he works a lot - too much maybe - but I made him promise to spend more time at home before I left."
"Yeah, that sounds like him."
"Oh, that reminds me." Binx said, retrieving the phone from his pack. "He wanted me to call..."
"He can wait until after you've eaten." Burgers before business, that's what Alice back at the diner would say.
"Okay." Binx laid his telephone on the table as Mr. Pokemon sat his plate in front of him.
"I have catsup, mustard, and such in the refrigerator...."
"Oh, no, this will be fine," Binx said with a full mouth. He ended up devouring two sandwiches before he realized his Vulpix needed some energy as well. "Mr. Pokemon?"
"Yes?"
"Do you have anything I could feed my Vulpix?"
"Why, yes, I believe I have just the thing." Mr. Pokemon retrieved some berries and juice from his fridge as Binx called out his pokemon. "I have some berries here and berry juice. They should give Vulpix the energy it needs," he said as he distributed his fruit and juice into bowls for Vulpix. "Here you go."
"Vulpix!"
"See, it's good, isn't it?" He turned to Binx. "Your Vulpix is still very young."
"How can you tell?" Binx was curious.
"Well, it only has two tails right now. As it gets older, its tails will begin to split off. That's how you can tell with a Vulpix. Other pokemon have the same little quirks as well." He paused for a moment. "Do you want to go ahead and call Professor Elm?"
"Yeah, I guess I should."
"Okay, I am going to go get a few blankets and such for you. I'm afraid I don't have an extra room, so you'll have to take the couch." Mr. Pokemon said, standing.
"That's fine." Right now, Binx would have slept on a pile of rocks.
Mr. Pokemon left the room. Lucky for Binx, the Professor's number was pre-programmed into the phone, because he couldn't remember it.
"Hello?" came Professor Elm's voice.
"Hi Professor, this is Binx."
"Binx! I'm glad to see that you have made it to Mr. Pokemon's house. How do you feel?"
"Worn out."
"It'll get better along the way. I know it will."
"Did you talk to my mom?" Binx asked.
"Yes I did. I told her that you were leaving to become a trainer and that it was very important that you go quickly."
"How did she take it?” Binx winced.
"As well as could be expected, I suppose. She said that she supports you no matter what. I told her you would be calling."
"Okay. I'm gonna call her now. Goodbye, Professor."
"Okay, Binx. Remember to check in as often as you can." Professor Elm said and the line went quiet.
Binx wasted no time pushing in his home telephone number.
"Binx?" his mom answered.
"Hi, mom."
"Oh, sweetie, are you okay?" her motherly voice was filled with concern.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Oh, I just wish you could have stopped by home before you left..."
"I couldn't...I wanted to..." Binx's eyes began to tear up.
"I know, honey. Its okay. I'm behind you, you don't ever forget that."
Binx couldn't hold it in much longer. "Okay, mom, I gotta go."
"Okay...I love you..."
"I love you too, mom." Binx said and the line was silenced once more.
"I brought you some clothes..." Mr. Pokemon startled Binx out of his chair. He tried to hide his tears, but it was too late. "Uh...I brought you some old clothes I had stored away. Professor Elm said you didn't have much time to prepare, so I figured you didn't have time to pack anything...I'll put them on the couch..."
Binx sat back down in his chair, and soon, Mr. Pokemon was claiming a chair right across from him.
"You okay?" he asked.
"I'm fine," Binx said, wiping away tears.
"I know it may seem hopeless now..." he began. "...but things will buck up soon enough."
"That's what everyone keeps telling me..."
"Let me ask you something. Do you think that it was just luck that, of all places, this egg turns up in your yard?"
"What do you mean?" Binx was a little confused.
"I have a theory. Want to hear it?"
"Sure."
"Okay..." Mr. Pokemon took a deep breath. "Now, I've been around for a long time and I've seen many things. Some people may call me eccentric, and they may be right. But, I stand firmly behind my belief. We all know that trainers may choose their pokemon. However, I think pokemon also choose who they think is worthy to train them." Mr. Pokemon paused to let his words sink in.
"That doesn't sound eccentric," Binx said, although he wasn't quite sure what the word actually meant. "But what does that have to do with me? Eggs can't choose a trainer."
"Exactly. And this is where we get to the part where most people laugh and walk away. I believe that, in some cases, a pokemon and its trainer are, in fact, destined to be together. Now tell me, what are the odds of this egg appearing in your yard out of nowhere? Why not someone else's yard? Why not my yard?"
"That's what I've been asking ever since I found it..."
"Well then, here's an answer to your questions..." The graying old man sat forward in his seat. "Because there's a reason you and this egg came to meet," Mr. Pokemon had a wild look in his eye. His face was full of great wisdom and understanding, but his eyes...his eyes were almost glowing with excitement. "...because you were meant to have it. No one can tell you what the reason is..." He leaned back, causing the wooden chair to squeak. "...you must discover that one on your own...and you will." he said frankly. "The paths of good and evil will cross, as they always do."
Binx thought the conversation was over now, as Mr. Pokemon stood and smiled and began toward his bedroom. But as Binx threw his pack over his shoulder and started into the living room, the old man stopped and turned back to him with the same glow and excitement as before. "This is the stuff legends are made of, my dear boy..."
Those words hung in the air long after Mr. Pokemon had left the room. In fact, they still resounded in Binx's mind after he returned Vulpix to its pokeball, and even after he lay under his blankets on the man's couch. "A legend?" Binx mumbled to himself. "Eccentric...." And with that last word, he was fast asleep.
"YOU DID WHA-A-A-AT?!?!?!" Dr. Z's voice roared through the portable phone Jesse was holding.
"Well, we're sure we lost it somewhere in New Bark...We can go and get it back..." James whined from behind Jesse.
"All I ask is this one little thing. CONCEAL THE EGG!!!! And can you handle that one minute responsibility? NOOO!" Jesse, James, and Meowth all winced as the phone crackled with Dr. Z's anger. "You imbeciles! You IDIOTS!! Do you have any idea what you've done?" He paused for a moment to regroup. "You three go back to New Bark Town and FIND THAT EGG! You know how to get in contact with me when you have what I want." The line went dead.
"I was hoping we could sleep tonight..." James mumbled.
"Well, we have to back track now, thanks to you." Jesse retorted.
"Me? You're the one who started the whole thing. 'No, I should carry the egg for Dr. Z.' 'I'm the one he was really talking to..." James did his best Jesse impression.
"Will you two stop it already? That's what got us into this mess to begin with." Meowth said.
"You stay out of it," both Jesse and James chimed together.
"Oh, geez," Meowth mumbled, and they argued all night long.
Once again, Binx was awake before sunrise. Today, however, was different because he was awakened not by his own internal clock, but by the aroma of sizzling bacon and eggs. He sat up, still in the same clothes as the night before, rubbing his eyes and stretching his aching legs, and then wondered into the kitchen, where he found Mr. Pokemon cooking breakfast.
"I see you're finally awake. I've been up for an hour!" The man chuckled a bit and turned to face Binx. "How do you like your eggs? Scrambled, I hope..."
"Y-yeah, that's fine..." Binx had never known anyone who got out of bed the same time as him if they didn't have to. "It's kind of nice to know that I'm not the only one up this early."
"Well, I like to get an early start, that's all." He scraped breakfast onto two plates and joined Binx at the table. "We're going into Cherrygrove today. I figure you'll want to be heading along, and you'll need supplies."
Binx picked up his fork and began devouring his food. The last thing he wanted to do right now was head along. Especially since he didn't really know where he was heading along to.
"I..uh..I also have something I need to tell you about."
"What's that?" Binx looked up from his empty plate.
"No, no, not now. We'll talk on the way into town." Mr. Pokemon took Binx's and his own plate and placed them in the sink. "You need to go get ready."
The boy quickly showered and dressed himself in a T-shirt and jeans Mr. Pokemon had given him the previous night. He was satisfied with the way they fit him, so he ventured back into the living room to finish packing the rest of the garments that had been presented to him. There wasn't much more room left in his tote, but there were only three outfits to pack, and they just fit.
"You ready to go?" Mr. Pokemon had his keys in his hand.
"Ready as I'll ever be." Binx threw his pack over his should and followed Mr. Pokemon outside.
"She's right over here," the man said gesturing toward a large rusty pile of metal on wheels that was supposed to be a pick-up truck. "Come on, get in..."
Binx was afraid the door would fall from its hinges when he opened it, but to his surprise it didn't, so he took his seat as Mr. Pokemon cranked the engine. It sounded as if the poor thing was begging for mercy, rather than trying to start up.
"Here we go." They were finally off down the path to Cherrygrove.
The trip was filled with silence (if you could call it silence with that engine running), until they hit the main road back into Cherrygrove City.
"Now we need to have a little chat." Mr. Pokemon was the first to speak up. "Professor Elm probably doesn't want me discussing this with you...thinks it's for your own good...but I think you need to know who you're up against."
"What do you mean?"
"They call themselves Team Rocket. They are the ones behind the experiment done on your egg there." He paused a moment to make a turn. "They are dangerous. Not too smart, but dangerous nevertheless. And it was that talking Meowth that tipped us off, you know. No one knows who these particular members are, but before Team Rocket broke apart three years ago, they had been reported several times for trying to steal pokemon. And failing miserably, of course, but trying is a crime also."
"But if they broke up, how are they here now?" Binx was confused.
"Well, we, the Professor and I, think that they're trying to reorganize and seeing these three on the prowl means nothing but trouble." They had just entered Cherrygrove City. "I just want you to be prepared, Binx. No matter how ignorant, Team Rocket is still a force to be reckoned with."
"Okay, I'll be careful."
"I know you will." Mr. Pokemon stopped the truck at a small shopping center near the middle of town. "And this is where I bid you farewell."
Binx sighed. He didn't really expect Mr. Pokemon to stay with him forever, but he was sad to part ways with him. He knew that he would probably take him to Violet City if he asked, but Mr. Pokemon was right. He had to figure everything out for himself. So, he was content with being in Cherrygrove for the moment. "Thanks for everything, Mr. Pokemon. You've been really great."
"No worries, my boy, no worries..." The old man looked a bit misty himself as they shook hands and separated. Binx stood in his place long enough to watch the old truck pass out of view heading back out of town. He then turned toward the shopping center.
There were only a couple stores open now, but they were the only ones that mattered. The supply stores were open at all hours to accommodate the influx of trainers during the night. He got everything he thought he would need - food, water, and a few snacks for Vulpix - at a store called Avery's PokeMart.
After filling his pack to the brim, Binx decided to head to the garden he had passed at the center of town on the previous night to spend a little time with Vulpix before he continued to Violet City.
It wasn't far, only about a block, and once he arrived, Binx noticed that there were many different kinds of flowers, but the lilacs and honeysuckle had the strongest scents. He traveled down the cement walkways until he found the heart of the garden, which was denoted by a smaller, round section set about three foot higher than the ground, filled with flowers, and surrounded by a cement ledge.
He rested on the ledge and called out his Vulpix so it could enjoy the view with him. Soon, Binx was digging in his pack for the pamphlets Professor Elm had supplied him with. If I'm going to act like a trainer, he thought, then I need to know how to be a trainer. The first one he found, entitled 'Anatomy of a Pokemon Battle,' was the one he began reading. He noticed that the Professor had hurriedly scrawled something on it: Vulpix - Ember and Tail Whip. These must be the attacks it knows, he thought.
Binx's train of thought was soon interrupted by the sound of footsteps somewhere near him. He immediately looked to Vulpix, who had instantly gone on guard at the appearance of someone else in the garden. You're just being paranoid because of what Mr. Pokemon said about Team Rocket, Binx thought. People walk through this garden all the time, I'm sure.
"Who's there?" Binx called, playing it safe.
"Vulvulpix!"
"Hello..." came a new voice from the figure standing only a few yards away from Binx...