True Issun

Fourteen Year Old Issun is sitting in his room, one Friday night, looking at piece of paper on his desk.  “The rules are simple” he read, “One, you can only catch the first pokemon you see on any route. Two, if a pokemon faints, it is dead.”

Sitting up from his chair, he went downstairs, where his mother cornered him. “Issun! You’re awake!” she exclaimed, seeming elated. “Your friend Lyra was just here”

“She’s not my friend” Issun pointed out

“In fact, I think she was coming by again in a few minutes…”

“Well, it was good knowing you, I’ve got an adventure to do, Kaythanksbye!”

“Wait, honey! Your pokegear came back today!”

“Oh… that thing”

Issun slumped back over to his Mother, almost out the door, where she handed him his repaired Pokegear. “Do you remember how to use it, honey?”

“Of course I do” Issun sighed

“Well, when you register somebody’s num- Issun?” she said, suddenly not seeing Issun in the house.


As Issun exited the house, he was attacked by a Wild Marill! Except it wasn’t that. It was worse. It was a tamed Marill. And it was Lyra’s. And she was coming this way! But then she seemed to walk away. Issun was safe. For now.

Disregarding that terrifying encounter, Issun made his way to the laboratory of  Professor Elm. The second he entered, Elm dragged him to the back of the room. “Hey, Issun! As you know, pokemon are carried inside Pokeballs” he began.

“Well holy shit”

“But before the Pokeball was invented, we just walked around with them”

“Tell that to the apricorn dude”

“Just like your friend Lyra does”

“Not my friend” Issun pointed out, again.

“Basically what I’m saying is, you’re going to take this pokemon, and walk around with it!”

Issun held his hands out, motioning for Elm to stop. “Wait wait wait wait! So you’re going to give a fourteen year old kid a pokemon, just because you want to do some experiment. A kid who, by all means, won’t do your experiment, and will just go vandalize everything he can WITH said pokemon. A kid who, by all means, could DIE because the pokemon got angry and decided to attack him”

Elm hesitated for a second, then grinned and nodded, “Yep!”

Suddenly, there was a beeping noise from behind Elm. Elm checked his computer, and after a moment, returned to Issun. “Oh by the way, I also need you to get something from my friend Mr. Pokemon for me”

“Wait, why should I do that?”

“Because you’re the protagonist”

“Bu-”

“Thank you so much, Issun!”


Issun grumbled, snatched a random ball off of the machine, and slumped out of the lab. Upon releasing it from its Pokeball, it was revealed to be a Totodile.

“… Yo” the Totodile yawned.

“A Totodile… I’ll name you Phillip!” Issun decided.

Suddenly, Issun heard steps from behind him. “Hey, Issun!” a familiar, annoying, female voice called out.

“Oh s***! Phillip! Attack!” Issun ordered, panicking. But it was too late. Lyra was already upon him.  

“Oh, so you picked a Totodile!” she noticed, “It’s so cute, you should go show your mom. Seeya!” she said, talking very fast, then walked away.


Phillip blinked. “That… was weird”

Issun sighed, “Be glad we made it out of there with our I.Q. points intact”

With that, Issun placed his hands behind his head, and began walking out of town.

“Uh, hey. Aren’t you going to show me to your mom?”

“Nah. I never do things that Lyra tells me to”

“Oh… aight”

However, as soon as Issun crossed the boundry between wilderness and New Bark town, Elm burst out of his laboratory, and ran up to Issun.

“Wait up!” he called. He ripped Issun’s Pokegear out of his possession, and entered his number in, then handed it back. “There ya go!” he said, grinning.

Issun looked extremely offended. “You- I- Bu- it-” he muttered, starring at his Pokegear. “You son of a-”

“Well, I’ll call you if anything comes up. Or if I’m lonely. Or if I need somewhere to crash. Or if I’m bored. Seeya!” he called, already on the way back to his lab.


Now completely pissed, Issun trudged into the first pieces of grass on his journey. The second he walked in, a hoothoot jumped right in his face.

“f***. THIS. s***. PHILLIP. SCRATCH. NOW” he roared.

“Uh… right” Phillip yawned. Suddenly, he leaped at deafening speeds at the little owl pokemon and clawed at its face, until it lay mangled on the ground.

Issun starred at the little torn up corpse. “Huh” he muttered, surprised, “That was impressive, actually”

Making his way through the route with no further problems, he entered Cherrygrove City. Where he was instantly attacked by an old man.
“Hey rookie! You’ve never been here before have you?”

“Uh…”

“Well, follow me then!” he exclaimed, then dashed forward to the nearby pokemon center. “This is a thing called a ‘Pokemon center’. It’s a-”

“I know what a pokemon center is”

“Place where your pokemon can get healed. It’s like free healthcare!”

The old man went on a tour of the city for another minute, before stopping at the man’s house. “And this is my house. Now, as a gift for using my tour services, take these running shoes!” the old man said, happily, holding a pair of tennis shoes in front of him.
“Uh, thanks…” Issun said cautiously, accepting the running shoes.

“Hey, uh, Issun. Didn’t he say Mr. Pokemon’s house was up north?” Phillip asked

“Yeah. We should probably go that way, huh?” Issun shrugged, then began the journey northwards.

His journey to the fabled Mr. Pokemon’s house was plagued by wild Hoothoots and Rattatas, and some guy trying to give him an Apricorn Box, but he finally stuck through it, and Phillip even learned Water Gun and Rage on the way. Upon arrival at the house, he was attacked by more old men.
“Ah, you must be Issun!”

“…Yeah…”

“Terrific, that means you can get rid of this for me!” he handed over an egg, beaming. “No matter what I do, I can’t crack it. What am I supposed to have for breakfast?!”

Issun grabbed the egg and slowly backed out of the house. “Right. Well. Seeya.”

However, as soon as he exited the room, he was called by Professor Elm. “Issun! Come quick! It’s terrible! Horrible! Vile! Inconvi-” Issun clicked the phone off.

“Yeah yeah, I’m coming” Issun yawned, “Well come on, Phillip. We’ve got to go now”

“I thought you didn’t like helping people”

Issun sighed wearily, “Yeah… But I don’t know. I haven’t gotten Pokeballs yet, which means that the first route is still fair game. May as well go check it out”

Issun and Phillip ventured on their uneventful way back to Cherrygrove. However, as they were about to leave, a Red-haired kid around Issun’s age bumped into them.
“Watch where you’re going, Jackass!”

“You’re a trainer, aren’t you?” he asked, peering at Phillip.

“What’s it to you?”

“I’m a trainer too”

“Wow, good for you”

“You look weak. Let’s do battle” the weird redhead ordered, then grabbed a Pokeball at his waist. “GO! Chikorita!”

Issun stared at the little… plant… animal… Planimal… thing for a moment, then burst in to laughter. “CHIKORITA! HE PICKED CHIKORITA! WAHAHAHAH” he cried, tears in his eyes, rolling on the ground. “LOOK PHILLIP! IT’S A CHIKORITA! WHAT A CHALLENGE, AM I RIGHT?!”

“Uh… I don’t get it, Issun”

Issun picked himself up off the ground and wiped the tears from his eyes. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” he wheezed, trying to catch his breathe from laughing so hard. “Ah… Phillip, use rage” Issun commanded casually. Totodile glowed red, then threw himself onto Chikorita, and began pulverizing it with its claws and teeth.

“OW!OW!OW!” The Chikorita screamed, “Get it off mee-ee-ee!” it cried.

“Damn it, Chikorita! Just use tackle!” The redhead ordered

The Chikorita responded, and shook free of Phillip, then bumped into him.
Phillip’s red glow grew brighter. He glanced at Chikorita, then grinned.

“Phillip. Rage” Issun yawned. Phillip once again went to work tearing Chikorita to pieces. The Chikorita now lay on the ground, covered in scratches, fainted.

The weird redhead called back his pokemon “Hmph. What a weakling” he muttered. He looked from side to side, then began running away, dropping his trainer card on the ground by accident as he went by.

Issun picked it up and read it. “Silver? What kind of parent names their kid SILVER?! What’s next, kids named after colors?!”

Silver, the redhead, ran back and snatched his trainer card back, “Hey, give it back, thief!” he ordered, then ran off again.

Issun sighed, “What a weirdo” he muttered. Again, he placed his hands behind his head and made his way through the easy path back to New Bark Town. He entered the laboratory, where there was a police officer waiting next to Elm. Issun walked up to them. “So, what’s going on here, then?” he asked.
“It’s terrible! A pokemon has been stolen!”

“Hm? Oh, you mean, like, a Chikorita?”

“Yes, exactly!”

“Some red-haired dude had one just a minute ago, he went through Cherrygrove just now” Issun explained. “Oh, and I’ve got this egg for you” he said, handing Elm the egg. “Seeya, losers” he called, leaving the lab. Once again leaving the town, he was stopped by the hideous beast known as Lyra.
“HEY ISSUN!” she called, “You don’t know how to catch pokemon do you?”

“Well actually-”

“Here, take these Pokeballs! You find pokemon, beat them up, then throw these at them” she explained, handing Issun five Pokeballs.

“Oh… aight” he muttered, then sprinted away from the monster and into the grass. Almost instantly another Hoothoot jumped out in front of him. It cocked it’s head, and therefore it’s entire body, at Issun, “Oh. Hello there” it muttered.

“Oh s***, Phillip, scratch!” Issun commanded. Jawn jumped at the Hoothoot and clawed at it’s face, leaving it panting and tired. “Now, I’ve got you!” Issun shouted, throwing a Pokeball at it. It shook once. Twice. Thrice. It dinged. “Hahaha!” Issun laughed, holding his Pokeball up high, “A new friend!” he exclaimed, “And I’ll call her… Riley” Issun decided. “Welcome to the team, Riley”

“Alright, Riley, come out!” Issun commanded, throwing her Pokeball into the air. There was a flash of red, and a tiny round owl appeared in front of him.

“Oh, hello master” Riley greeted Issun calmly, smiling lightly at him.

“Uh, it’s just Issun, actually” Issun clarified.

“Very well then, Issun” she said. She looked into the sky. “It is morning. Good Morning, Issun”

Riley spoke the truth. The night had passed since Issun caught Riley, and he was now ready to begin his adventure towards the first gym. “Of course, we’ll have to bulk you up before then” Issun told her, as they began walking. He then spent a while making his way through the route, letting Phillip and Riley double team everything in the way, to train her up to prime fighting condition. On the way, he crossed through a gate, and in to a route he’d not been to on his first trek through the route.

“Issun, there is tall grass here. Will we be making a new friend?” Riley asked.

“We’ll try, Riley” he responded simply.

The moment they stepped into the grass, a Rattata leaped at the two of them. “You’re already dead!” the Rattata screamed at them.

“Riley, hypnosis!” Issun called. Rings flowed from Riley’s eyes, and the Rattata fell to the ground mid-attack. After having Riley tackle it a few times, Issun threw a Pokeball. It shook thrice, and the Rattata was caught.

“I guess… I’ll call you Buck” Issun decided.

“I do not like Buck” Riley muttered, staring at his Pokeball.

“Well, that’s not exactly… well… um…” Issun began, trying to defend Buck, “Well, you haven’t even known him for long!”

“He seems annoying.  I do not like his voice, nor his attitude”

“Well fine, Miss Negativity, have it your way”


They continued on their route, and passed Cherrygrove. On their way north, however, they were confronted with yet another pokemon. It was a Pidgey.

“Issun. It is another flying type” Riley pointed out.

“Yes, I realize. Now tackle it!” he commanded.

“…Very well” she sighed, then used the same strategy from before, weakening it and putting it to sleep.

Issun threw a Pokeball. It was a successful capture. “And now for you… You shall be named… Hawkeye” he decided.

“If I am being honest, I do not mind this Hawkeye. He is not as annoying as that Buck Character that you caught back there”

“Nice to hear that”
The group went back to the pokemon center. Issun had his pokemon healed, then headed back up through the route, where he was plagued by tons of Caterpie, which were little more than fodder for Riley. Along the way through her training, Riley learned peck, which made the groups of Caterpie even easier for her to destroy without issue.

Once again returning to the pokemon center, a young child spotted Issun and ran over to him. “Hey you! You look weak! Let’s fight!” he demanded. He sent out a Rattata.

“That’s all? Really?” Issun questioned. He sighed, “Fine. Riley, peck” he commanded. Riley flew over and began pecking the Rattatas eyes out. After a mere moment, the Rattata lay mangled on the ground.

“Woah… say, we should exchange numbers, so we can have a rematch, and talk about my super cool Rattata!”

“Y’know, the cool thing about that is- SOD OFF!” Issun shouted, shoving the kid out of his way. He quickly healed, then ran yet again through the route. Finally arriving at the gate to Violet City, Issun took a breather, and sent out all his pokemon.

“Alright guys. The first gym is up there. None of you guys are anywhere near ready, so we’ll be training for a while, but what do you guys think?”

“Eh… Shouldn’t be a prob for us” Phillip replied.

“When you are ready, Issun, I will be as well. I trust your judgment” Riley responded.

“Hah! Why should we wait!? I can take that dude on now!” Buck exclaimed excitedly.

Hawkeye remained completely silent, just staring at Issun.

“Well, that’s reassuring. Thanks, guys. Now let’s get moving. We’ve got a long way to go”


The group entered the gate, when suddenly, Issun heard someone call out to him. “Issun, it is you!” she called. “I can’t believe you got ahead of me like that!” she exclaimed. It was Lyra. She had stalked Issun all this way.

Issun leaned down to Riley. “If you see an opening, fire a Hypnosis, and we can get out of here unscathed” he whispered.

“I’m afraid that’s impossible at this moment”

Issun swore silently, then looked back to Lyra. “Well here’s a gift for surprising me!” she said, and handed him what seemed to be a useless video playing device. “Well, that’s all, SEEYA!” she called, running out of the tunnel.

“Issun?” Riley said, looking up at him

“Yeah?”

“We won’t have to deal with her much, right?”

“No. No we probably will”

“That is unfortunate. She is annoying”
“You’re telling me. I live next to her”

Riley thought for a minute. “You have my deepest condolences”



Issun looked up, now in the heart of Violet City, at the gym. According to the sign, it was a flying type gym. There was also a tower filled with Bellsprouts to the north, which would be perfect for Hawkeye and Riley. “So, I suppose that’s where we’ll go first?” Issun asked, looking down at Riley.

“That would be a rather good idea” Riley agreed.

“Well, let’s take a break first. We’ll do it soon”

“Very well. Rest would be nice. Call upon me when we resume”

Issun recalled Riley, then went to the Pokemon Center, and began resting.



Several hours later, the group was at the base of the tower. Upon entering, Issun noticed the giant swaying pillar, which, he thought, looked rather silly. Excusing it, he began his trek up the tower, which was interrupted by many monks, and even more ghosts and rats. However, he finally reached the top, after intense travels and training. Hawkeye had already evolved into a Pidgeotto and Riley was well on her way to Noctowl. At the top he saw Silver. He was being lectured about being nice to his pokemon, but he simply shrugged it off, then flew away using a rope.

Issun walked up to the Elder.

“Ah, hello. So nice of you to come. Surely you wish to fight me for my TM”

“Well, actually- Sure, whatever” Issun shrugged.

“Very well then. Bellsprout! Let us do battle!” he shouted, calling out a Bellsprout.

The following battle was little more than Riley pecking plants and another owl into pieces, leaving herself completely unscratched. As such, the Elder rewarded Issun with the TM for Flash.

“Flash? What am I supposed to do with this?!” he asked, staring at the disc. “Gah, screw this place, I’m out!” he groaned, and flew away, in the same manner that Silver did. “Now come on, gang, we’ve got more training to do”

Standing over a freshly defeated Bellsprout, Riley’s body began to glow a bright white. From under her, a body and two large wings sprouted, as she evolved into a Noctowl. “Ahah! What do you think, Issun? Is my evolved form not magnificent?”

“Ah… sure is. Don’t get a swelled head, though” Issun warned.

She rotated her aforementioned head upside down, “Whatever do you mean by that?”

“I’m just saying that you don’t need to get cocky because you’re strong. That’s the kind of attitude that gets you killed”

Riley rotated her head right-side up again, “I suppose you are right. I apologize”

“Thank you. Now then…” Issun said, turning to Phillip who was napping under a tree, “I guess it’s your turn”

“Mmm… whuzah? What’d you say?” Phillip asked, just snapping out of a daze.

“It’s your turn to train, Phillip”

“Huh? Er… Nah. There’s plants in there. And lightning sheep. Too dangerous. Imma go back to napping”

Issun sighed, then walked over and picked Phillip up by the spikes. He then tossed him into the grass, where he was confronted by a Bellsprout.

“Hey, what’s the big idea, Is-”

“SCRATCH!”

“Oh, right” he remembered, then focused back on fighting the wild pokemon coming his way. After that, he forgot about napping, and cared only for the fighting that his training entailed.

Hours later, the sun was just dipping below the horizon. Phillip was facing a Mareep, staring intensely at it. Issun pointed at it, “Phillip. Bite” Issun commanded. Phillip dashed forward, and clamped onto the Mareep, biting through it’s wool and piercing it’s skin. Phillip shook it around in its jaw, then spat it out on the ground.

“Good work, Phillip. You’re getting good at this”

Phillip turned, smiling, “Ah… thanks, Issun” he thanked, then started to glow.

“Woah, Phillip, you’re…!”

Phillip’s body grew and contorted, transforming and evolving into a ferocious Croconaw. Phillip looked at his claws. “Huh… sick” he muttered, studying himself.

Issun scanned his team. Pidgeotto, Noctowl, and Croconaw. As well as some less powerful members, in Rattata and Bellsprout. “Alright, Hawkeye, Riley, Phillip, you guys will be more than sufficient to deal with Falkner. You guys ready?”

Phillip glanced up, “Uh… yeah, sure”

Hawkeye gave a silent nod.

Riley smiled lightly at Issun, “Of course, Issun!”

“Alright then, looks like it’s time”


Issun entered the gym, however, all he saw was a single wooden platform in a large room. “Uh… this is a bit odd” he muttered, he walked on to it, “Do I just step on he- HOLY MANKEY FEATHERS!” he shouted, as the platform rocketed into the air, putting him at a large, wood and glass structure, in the middle of the air, in the shape of an S. Or perhaps a dollar sign. Or maybe a five. It didn’t matter.

Taking only a few steps forward, a trainer ran at him. “This place sure is high up!” he shouted, “Let’s see if you’re ready to face Falkner!” he said before sending out his Spearow.

“Is this really safe? We don’t have much room up he-”

“Peck!” he called, and the Spearow charged at him.

“Oh crap! Hawkeye, gust!” he ordered. Hawkeye batted his wings, sending the Spearow flying through the air, and toppling off of the platform.

“Y-you threw my pokemon off of the bridge!”

“I told you this was dangerous!” Issun retorted. Issun walked off, slowly making his way carefully across the thin platform. Another trainer confronted him.

“Some kind of big shot, are you?” He asked, raising an eyebrow, “I wonder what would happen if you were pushed around up here. You think you’d fall off?”

Riley looked up at Issun. “Issun, I think he is threatening you. May I dispose of him for you?”

“Sure thing, Riley” Issun shrugged.

The enemy’s Pidgey somehow kicked sand in Riley’s face despite them being on a wooden platform. Riley simply blinked, the sand falling out of her eyes, and opened her eyes wide, giving a piercing stare to the Pidgey.

“Alright, Riley, return with Peck!”

Riley flew forward with blinding speed, and jabbed her beak into Pidgey’s chest. There was a ching sound, as her beak pierced the Pidgey’s vital organs, and landed in critical areas of the body. The Pidgey stumbled and fell down, tumbling off of the platform. Another Pidgey was sent out, and Riley pecked it again, this time with a much lighter blow, which still managed to take it down with ease. Before the trainer could whine about Issun’s actions, Issun walked away, and towards the weird blue-haired kid at the front of the room.

“Yo! My name’s Falkner!” he introduced himself. “You know, they say you can clip a bird’s wings with lightning… And I won’t allow such insults to bird pokemon!”

“You… DO know they’re just talking about typing, right?”

“Whating? Anyway, allow me to show you how magnificent bird pokemon are!”

He sent out a Pidgey. Hawkeye glared at the Pidgey. Riley began to step forward, but Hawkeye pushed her aside with his wing. “I’ll do this” he said. The first words he had said in their company.

“Oh… Alright” Riley muttered, stepping back.

“Well… Okay then. Hawkeye, use Gust!” Issun ordered.

Hawkeye batted his wings, and sent the Pidgey flying into the wall, cracking it. The Pidgey barely survived, and worked it’s way free of the wall. It kicked sand into Hawkeye’s face. He glared at Pidgey through the sand even harder than before.

“Quick attack, Hawkeye!”

Hawkeye dashed forward, just off the ground, leaving an afterimage, and slammed into the Pidgey, cracking the wall even further, and sending it flying through the wall, and crashing into the ground below. Falkner then sent out a Pidgeotto.

Riley glanced up at Issun again, “Issun. That is a Pidgeotto”

“I noticed”

“But it is significantly weaker than Hawkeye”

“So?”

“You have not trained Hawkeye since he evolved. How is it possible that there is a Pidgeotto that much weaker than him if he just evolved?”

“I… huh… you’re right. Oh well, Hawkeye, gust!” he ordered. The gust of wind, however, sailed right over Pidgeotto’s head. Pidgeotto responded with his own Gust, which slammed into Hawkeye with incredible force.

“Hang in there Hawkeye! Fire off another Gust!” he called. He did, and this one hit. Pidgeotto responded with a tackle, which narrowly missed. “Now! Follow him with Quick Attack!” Hawkeye slammed into Pidgeotto at blinding speeds, but it still wasn’t enough, and Pidgeotto responded with another tackle. “Another Quick Attack, come on!” he called, but this one missed. The Pidgeotto then perched on the platform, and began looking more healthy.

“Roost…. DAMN IT!” Issun swore. “Quick attack!” Issun ordered once again. This one landed, and sent the Pidgeotto flying into the air. The Pidgeotto responded by shooting a gust at Hawkeye, which he took little damage from. “Another Quick Attack! Finish it!” he called, but again it missed, and again, Pidgeotto used roost.

“If I may interject, you may want to use me, Issun” Riley suggested

“I guess you’re right” Issun admitted. He called back Hawkeye, and sent Riley out in his place. Meanwhile, Pidgeotto used roost once again.

“Riley, hypnosis!” he called. Rings flew from Riley’s wide open eyes, and Pidgeotto fell from the sky, into a sleep on the platform. “Now, barrage him with Peck!” he ordered. She got one peck off. Two. The Pidgeotto woke up and tackled her for minimal damage. “Finish him! Peck!” he commanded. The hit landed, and finally, Pidgeotto fell.

“For pity’s sake! My Dad’s cherished bird pokemon!”

“Wait wait wait! First off, we need to talk about this “Bird Pokemon” thing. They’re flying types. Not Bird types. Second, those weren’t even YOUR pokemon?! WHY ARE YOU A GYM LEADER?!” Issun demanded.

“…I inherited it” he offered, meekly.

“Oh… I didn’t realize your father was dead. I’m sorry”

“Hm… What? No he’s not dead”

“But you… I thought… What do you mean inherited?”

“My dad retired, so he couldn’t run the gym anymore. He gave me his pokemon and the gym as a gift”

“I… You can go to hell!” Issun shouted, swiping his badge out of Falkner’s hand, as well as a TM disk, and dashing out of the gym”