Day 215

[from Pokémon: Shattered Crystal]

I make it back through Route 29 safely, and head straight for Professor Elm's lab. When I get there, I find that one of the windows has been smashed in, and there are a few police officers milling around. Elm's lab is a very important Pokémon research facility, so the theft here will be of great concern to the local police force, in case anything of significance was stolen.

I duck under the police tape and make my way inside the laboratory. Professor Elm is standing near his desk, talking to a police officer. As the officer notices me approaching, he turns to me with a stern expression. "Excuse me, kid," he says, "this is a crime scene, you can't just-"

"It's okay," Professor Elm said hurriedly, "he's an assistant of sorts. I asked him to come back here after the robbery occurred, just after I called you guys."

The police officer still looks sceptical of me, but decides not to question my presence any further. "I see," he says.

"What exactly happened here, Professor Elm?" I ask.

The officer butts in before Elm can answer. "According to the professor, a rare Pokémon was stolen from the laboratory a short time ago," he said. "The culprit broke in through the front window, stole the Poké Ball, and left immediately without stealing anything else."

"They only took the Pokémon?" I say. "That's strange. There's a lot of stuff here worth stealing, why only take a Pokémon?"

"I don't know," said Professor Elm. "Admittedly, this wasn't a Pokémon you could just find anywhere, but how did that kid know about it?"

I remember the incident that occurred on my way here, and the dots fully connect. "It… wouldn't happen to have been a young guy with long red hair, would it?" I ask.

"Wh- yes, it was!" said Professor Elm, surprised.

The police officer is equally surprised. "You're saying you ran into someone of that description?" he says.

"Yes," I say. "He attacked me on the outskirts of Cherrygrove City… with the stolen Pokémon. I think. I beat him, and he ran off."

"I see," said the police officer, readying his notepad. "Did you happen to get his name?"

"He told me his name was Silva," I tell him. "I don't know if that's a first or a last name, though."

The officer jots down what I just told him. His attitude towards me seems to have improved considerably now that I've assisted him. "Well, that's still a great help," he says. "Now we know his name and his recent movements. Thank you very much for your help."

The police officer heads off, presumably to relay this new information to the other officers, leaving Elm and I by ourselves. The professor still looks a little shaken by what has transpired here. "Ryan, this is terrible," he says. "I still can't believe someone would do something like this."

"I'm sorry, Professor," I say. "I could have stopped him back in Cherrygrove."

"Don't beat yourself up, Ryan," says Professor Elm. "You did what you could." The professor decides to change topics, giving me a small smile. "So, anyway… what was Mr. Pokémon's big discovery?"

"Uhh… hang on a second," I say. I put down my backpack, open up the main compartment, and take out the egg. The professor looks at it in shock, and takes a step backward.

"That?!" he says. "Well, I… what is that?" Composing himself, he steps forward again and adjusts his glasses, peering down at the object. "Is that a Pokémon egg? If it is, it's a fantastic discovery! We've always wondered how Pokémon reproduce, and this egg could well be the answer to our questions!" He reaches out to take it from me. "May I…?"

"Of course," I say, handing it over. The Professor takes it gently in his hands and turns it over, examining it. "Truly an amazing discovery…" he mutters. "I'll study this egg and see what I can learn about it." He places it very carefully on top of his healing machine, nestling it inside one of the Poké Ball slots, then turns back to me. "Is there anything else to report?"

"I guess there is one thing," I say. "I ran into Professor Oak at Mr. Pokémon's house, and he gave me a Pokédex." I take out the Pokédex and show it to Professor Elm.

"He did?" said Professor Elm, amazed. "Wow, that's incredible, Ryan! I guess Professor Oak must have seen the same potential in you that I have. You'd make a great trainer, Ryan, maybe even a Champion someday."

I hadn't thought of myself as being that good at Pokémon training, but it seems Professors Elm and Oak both think otherwise. "You really think so?" I say.

"I do," says Professor Elm. "In fact, I think you should take the Pokémon Gym Challenge. It's an excellent way of both honing and proving your skills with Pokémon. The closest Gym would be the one in Violet City, north of Cherrygrove."

I nod. It might be worth considering; I can gather Elm's data, look after the egg, and test myself all at the same time. "Okay. I'll give it a try."

Professor Elm crouches down and places a hand on my shoulder, looking at me with a serious expression. "Ryan," he says. "The road to the championship will be a long and difficult one. You'll face a lot of challenges, and you might not make it through all of them unscathed. You understand that, right?"

I nod. "I understand."

"Good." Professor Elm straightens up again. "You should talk to your mom before you leave. She'll want to know where you're going, and what you're up to. I'm sure she'll be proud of you, Ryan. I'll be rooting for you all the way. Good luck."

"Thanks, Professor," I reply.

I turn to exit the lab, but Professor Elm suddenly calls me back. "Wait, Ryan!" I turn back, and the professor heads to his desk and opens a draw. Fishing around, he pulls out five empty Poké Balls, which he then hands to me. "Here," he says. "If you're going to be filling in the Pokédex for Professor Oak, you'll be needing Poké Balls to catch new Pokémon. You know how to use them, right?"

"Yeah," I say, "you just weaken the Pokémon you want to catch, and then throw a Ball at them."

"Precisely," says the professor. "You'll want to catch as many Pokémon as you can to fill that Dex up. Besides, you won't be able to take on the whole Pokémon League with just that Cyndaquil, no matter how strong it is."

"Okay." I take the Poké Balls and put them in one of the pockets of my bag. I'm sure they'll come in very useful. "Thank you, Professor."

"Good luck, Ryan," sas Professor Elm. "I'll call you if I learn anything about the Egg."

I head back out of the laboratory with this new idea firmly planted in my brain. I'm going to try and become a strong Pokémon trainer, and even if I can't become the Champion like Professor Elm thinks, I'm sure I can still do myself proud if I really try my best.

Ducking back under the police tape, I emerge into the street once more, and head off back home. When I get in, my mother is in the kitchen. "Good afternoon, honey," she says. "What did Professor Elm want?"

"He wanted me to run an errand for him over in Cherrygrove," I tell her. "He gave me a Pokémon to help me." I show her Firebrand.

"Aww, that's a cute Pokémon," she says. "That was very kind of the professor. Did you thank him for it?"

"I did, mom," I reassure her.

"Okay, that's good," she says. I know I should tell her that I'm leaving to become a trainer now, but somehow I just can't bring myself to. She seems to tell that something's up, however, because after a moment she says: "Is there something else, Ryan?"

I take a deep breath and decide to just come out with it. "Professor Elm says I have enough skill with Pokémon to be a champion trainer one day. He says I should go and take the Pokémon Gym Challenge, so... I'm going to do it. Or at least, I'm going to try. But it means that… I might not be home for a while."

My mother nods, and to my relief I see that she is smiling. "I see," she says. "So, you're leaving on a big adventure… well, in that case, I wish you all the best of luck, dear. Do remember to come and visit sometime, okay? I'll keep your room nice and tidy for you. And don't push yourself too hard, alright? You can always take a break whenever you need to."

"I know, mom," I say.

"Hmm… there must be some way I can help you out from here…" my mother says to herself.

"Honestly, mom, I'll be fine," I tell her.

"I'm sure you will," she says. "You're my big, strong man, and I'm so proud of you, but that doesn't mean I can't support you, right? Oh, I know! I can save money for you! I'm sure you'll be needing plenty of it on your journey. Would you like me to do that for you?"

"Sure," I say. "Thanks, mom." [AUTHOR NOTE: I actually chose "No" in-game, due to how the mechanic works, but it wouldn't fit the narrative if I had the protagonist decline]

"Okay," my mother says. "Be careful out there. And remember, Pokémon are your friends. You need to work with them, not treat them like tools."

"I know, mom," I say. "I'll look after Firebrand and the others. I promise."

"Good," she says, smiling down at me. "Now, go on! Go out and conquer those Gyms! I'll be behind you all the way!"

I nod. "I will," I say. "I'll see you later, mom."

"See you later, Ryan," says mom. "I'll be rooting for you!"

I leave my house, not knowing when I'll be returning to it, and head back towards Route 29 once more. My Pokémon journey is now truly underway.