Pokémon Evergreen
Now, who might you be?
[ ] Write-in name.
[ ] Female.
[ ] Male.
[ ] Two-Spirit/Non-Binary.
"Is this thing on? Ah yes, ahem" came a muffled voice in an unlit studio.
Professor Redwood's Pokémon Talk, a bright sign flashed these words behind a tall, labcoat-wearing man with his shaggy brown hair tucked beneath a white brimmed hat.
"Ah, sorry to keep you waiting. Hello, and welcome to the world of Pokémon. My name is Abner Redwood, but already people are beginning to call me Panowe's Pokémon Professor, and I'll be your host for the evening" this Professor begins, letting a cough out but seeming to handle being on live TV well enough.
"But what are Pokémon, you may ask? Well, er, you probably don't ask, they're all around us after all- oh, but I'm getting off script. Pokémon are the wondrous creatures that inhabit every nook and cranny of our world" he said as he threw out three Pokeballs.
The first released a green stegosaurus with ferns like sails running along its back and a thick-looking tail, with an expression that looked cheerful and relaxed if not especially engaged. The second released a tiny black mouse that fidgeted as it glanced around its surroundings, its body largely overshadowed by the jetpack it wore which looked like an old-school rocketship. The last ball released a small squid with big eyes, a pale, almost see-through body and little lightning shapes on the end of its tendrils, who then chirped to itself and started trying to draw all over the studio floor.
Redwood, seeing that the situation was getting a little out of control, summoned the three post-haste back into their balls before resuming his talk. "Yes, truly Pokemon are something else, but what I've just shown you is but a small sample of their abilities. To soar through the skies, control the elements, and flitter between this world and the next, all things man could only dream, Pokémon can accomplish with ease".
"Yet there is still much we do not know about Pokémon-" Redwood would've continued saying, but that's when old, rickety TV you sat in front of started crackling loudly, its picture devolving into static in front of you, a Rufflet and three others, who'd gathered to watch in the rusting old shack you called home.
"What the-?" Emerick, the hunched, fortysomething man who ran your village's Game Corner and probably the only person for miles around with a decent technological know-how, got up off the tattered, springy couch your Mom and the village Elder also sat on to inspect just what was going on with the TV and video player. "Thought I fixed this thing just yesterday". His little inspection was made harder when the Rufflet flapped up to start pecking at the screen.
"Hah" the Elder could only laugh "Now do you see why I doubt the white man's technology?".
"Emerick, please" your mother then stood up "It's okay, don't push yourself. I'm pretty sure we got the general idea of just who this Professor Redwood is, and which Pokémon he'll be offering my young one".
"Er yeah, 'bout Professor Redwood," Emerick gritted his teeth as he admitted "This busted tape's pretty old, like from twenty years back now. An old recording of some local access show Redwood hosted way back when, reason I gave it to you was because it was all I had on the guy that wasn't just word-of-mouth" he shrugged. "Do hear he's come a long way since though, like Professor of Pokémon Biology at ah, some college or another, so pretty respectable".
The Elder still couldn't restrain a snarl at that "Shame though that we have to go to a League-sponsored Professor so that the young one can receive their first Pokemon. When this land was ours, the young would be initiated into their journey through the Rite of Connection with their first Pokemon, now a League we had no hand in controls everything".
"Yeah well," Emerick knelt and said to you "Hey, you've got a pretty good hand with Pokemon, so I reckon you may be the one to show the League what one of the Natives can do. Heh, imagine the look on their faces if you became Champion-".
But then your mom cut him off "Really Emerick, don't you think that's too much pressure you're putting? A Pokemon Journey isn't simply about winning, let alone so much as a Championship. It's so the young ones can form a bond with the creatures and spirits of this land".
Emerick gave a stifled laugh "Woah now, you're starting to sound like one of the tour guides we have around here. Well hey kid," he turned one last time to you and yawned "Reckon it's about time we all got some shut-eye, Old Mon Moon's getting high in the sky and it's a big day tomorrow".
That was at least something everyone there could agree on. The Elder and Emerick then bidding you goodnight, you got up and headed down the stairs to the basement that doubled as the one bedroom in your house.
Other than the two mattresses for your Mom and you to sleep on, the only other features were a scooter propped up against a wall, an old games console of some past era that Emerick had managed to scrounge together for you, and a tattered poster of the very Pokemon you'd had your eye on:
[ ] The Grass-Dragon Steglas.
[ ] The Fire-Steel Cosmouse.
[ ] The Water-Electric Squark.
After a somewhat restless night, thoughts of adventure keeping you tossing and turning, you got up at first light, quickly got dressed and headed out into the unpaved streets of your reservation hometown Dust Valley. Already you could some of the other youths were trying to sneak into Emerick's still shut Game Corner, who he at least was very strict on insisting that no one your age could play there. Still weren't many Pokemon out yet, couple of Hoothoots returning to nest and a stray Deerling nibbling at the scrub was about all.
Dust Valley was in:
[ ] Roughly the middle of Panowe, in an outdoors-y area a bit southeast of Mt Robin.
[ ] In Panowe's southwest, with a deep and sacred lake a little bit to the north.
[ ] In the fertile Lumberry Valley, a bit west of Blossom City.
[ ] At the very southeast point of Panowe, at the edge of its vast, deserted Wild Area.
[ ] Between the mountains in northern Panowe, with the volcano Mt Wheedle to one side and the forbidden Darkstar Complex to the other.
[ ] In the northeast, Solilac being nearest City and the Golemite Mountains behind you.
