Pokémon Adventures: GAMER PATH

~Third POV~

[Hoenn Region, Meanwhile, Route 101]

On Route 101, Professor Birch is studying a wild Wurmple that is climbing a tree. His eyes widened as he yelled excitedly, "Phew!! Ooh!! Ah, I found it!! The nest of Wurmple, the Worm Pokémon!"

*PFWIP*

The Wurmple begins to evolve, prompting Birch to open his Pokédex to gather more information. The Wurmple evolves into a Silcoon as he muttered, fascinated, "I see! It's just as it says here! This machine is amazing! I'm glad I got my hands on this device. Hmm… this Cocoon is different from the one I saw just moments ago. That one was purple… but this one is white. Maybe it's a different variety of…"

*BEEP*

Suddenly, Birch receives a call from Norman, who informs him that he passed the Gym Leader inauguration test and is moving to Littleroot Town, making Birch grin, congratulating his old friend happily, "Yes, Norman! Oh, congratulations on getting appointed Gym Leader!! Haha!! What?! Today?! Your family is moving here today?! Oh… why yes, I did forget my apologies. Sure, we'll be next-door neighbors now. I'll hurry back into town to help you unload your boxes!! No problem!!"

*Click*

Ending the call, Birch smiled happily at the news as he muttered excitedly, "We'll all have dinner together tonight!"

As Birch is about to leave to prepare a meal for his new neighbors, a pair of Mightyena sneaks up behind him. They growled as they ambushed him.

/////

[Hoenn Region, Meanwhile, Littleroot Town]

Back in Littleroot Town, Caroline moves Ruby's belongings to his new room with the help of some Pokémon. She asks Ruby curiously, "So… What do you think, Ruby?"

However, Ruby ignores her question, receiving silence. After his mother goes downstairs to continue cleaning before Norman comes home, Ruby notices a pair of sneakers his father gave him as a gift, grunting, "Humph!"

*Toss*

He throws the sneakers into the garbage and recaps his runaway plan to Nana, Kiki, and Rara in a determined tone, "Okay, let's go over the plan again, Kiki, Nana, Rara. I know we just moved here, but we're leaving today!! My gorgeous Pokémon… all of you have won numerous Pokémon contests where beauty and cuteness were valued. But I've heard there are even tougher Pokémon contests in the Hoenn Region! And I want to win them all, each one of them!"

Ruby clenches his fist with a fiery, determined expression as he continues, "The only thing standing in my way… is that battle-crazed father of mine!! He'll never let me pursue my dream. He's bound and determined to drag me into his world of Pokémon battles and training. But I won't let him!!"

Ruby reveals that he plans to win all the Contests in Hoenn so that his 'battle maniac' father will have no choice but to let Ruby do Pokémon Contests instead of battling like he wishes. He grins confidently, snickering out loud, "I'll show him… I'll win all those Pokémon contests my way! And I'll throw my victories in his battle-obsessed face!"

Ruby begins to leave the house sneakily, but peeks at his mom setting up dinner as he thought guiltily, 'Sorry, Mom…'

He apologizes to his mother and sneaks out by climbing down the rope outside his window, but takes a moment to look at the gift his father had thrown away. He pondered for a bit before finally deciding to take the sneakers his father had given him anyway.

/////

[Hoenn Region, Littleroot Town – Outskirts]

*Fwp*

A Dragonite began its descent, circling above a vibrant, coastal region. Azure could make out a small, idyllic town nestled amongst rolling hills and dense forests.

A winding, unpaved road led towards it. Azure murmured, patting Dragonite's neck, "There it is, girl. Littleroot Town."

*Thud*

Dragonite landed gently on a grassy knoll just outside the town, its strong legs absorbing the impact. Azure dismounted, his feet touching the warm Hoenn soil. The air was thick with the chirping of Bug Pokémon and the distant calls of Wingull.

It was a symphony of a new world. He recalled Dragonite, but not before giving her a Poke Block that she happily ate, thanking her in the process, "Good work, girl. Take the Poke Block and rest up."

After recalling Dragonite into her Poké Ball, Azure began the short walk into Littleroot. The town was quaint and welcoming, with houses painted in bright, cheerful colors.

Children played with Zigzagoon in the streets, and a friendly elderly woman tended to her garden, humming a cheerful tune. Following Professor Oak's directions, Azure soon found Professor Birch's lab.

It was a larger, more sprawling building than Oak's, with an attached outdoor research area brimming with various plant species. But instead of heading inside, Azure walked towards Route 101 as he muttered curiously, "If I have my timeline of events right… he should be mauled by Poochyena just like in the games. Wonder if I'll meet with the protagonists."

With that in mind, he began to wander into Route 101. He noticed Pokémon not in their usual routes, which made him smile as he'd seen a Seedot, Shroomish, and Makuhita eager to search for a Pokémon suitable for his Hoenn Team.

/////

[Hoenn Region, Meanwhile, Route 101]

As he walks down Route 101, Ruby begins to ponder out loud, worriedly muttering, "I have to hurry up and find a place for us to spend the night… before they call the police and start looking for me. Huh?"

Just as Ruby began to hurry up, he noticed Professor Birch dangling from the tree he had climbed earlier, yelling, "HELP ME!"

*KERAK*

Suddenly, his rope finally snapped as he yelled in pain, "AAAARGH!!"

*WHUMP*

After he falls, Ruby asks, concerned, "Are you okay…?"

After Birch managed to get himself up, he quickly asked Ruby in an alarmed tone, "I'm being attacked by Pokémon! I seem to have entered their territory whilst doing my research. I'm so sorry to bother you, but… are you by any chance a Pokémon Trainer?! And if so, would you mind assisting me?"

Birch asks if Ruby can help him defeat the wild Mightyena that are attacking him. But Ruby bluntly replies, "Yes, I am. But I would mind. And I won't."

Birch froze, hearing that, and yelled, "Huh?! Why not?!"

Ruby nonchalantly shrugs his shoulder in a confident tone in a casual voice, "If I fight in a muddy swamp like this, my Pokémon will get all dirty!"

Due to the risk of his Pokémon getting covered in mud, Ruby refuses. Hearing this, Prof. Birch was dumbfounded as he tried to convince him, "Are you serious?! Ahhh!! They're here!!"

*RSTL*

*RSYL*

Upon seeing the Mightyena, Birch looks to Ruby as he thinks critically, 'Those Pokémon are extremely angry… How will he handle it…?'

But he flopped down over Ruby's reaction as he closely observed the Mightyena in awe, "Breath-taking!! They're stunning! I've never seen Pokémon like this before! Their fur is so, so… silky! Have you two ever considered… entering a Pokémon contest? You're dazzling… I'm sure you'd win…"

*SNAP*

Ruby considers the two Pokémon beautiful and asks if they want to join his Contest team. But the Mightyena attacks Ruby, but he dodges every attack as he tries to convince them, "Aw, come on. Don't be that way. Pokémon contests are fabulous fun! Excuse me… what are these Pokémon called?"

Birch was too stunned to reply, but then Ruby noticed Birch's dropped Pokédex on the ground. He picks it up and finds out their name, as he pieces everything together, muttering in awe, "This thing checks a Pokémon's data for you…? Isn't that what the Rotom Phone does, though? Wait… Mighty… ena? Poochy… ena?"

Once he realized that the Pokémon chasing him was Nana's evolved form, he smiled happily, his eyes glistening with the future in a happy tone, "Look, Nana!! You're going to look just like them when you evolve!! I see you taking top honors in the cool and beauty categories already! Let's practice so you can impress the judges!"

Birch was confused as Ruby did some poses, yelling confidently, "Always cool… even as the world rushes by… able to run away and race the wind…"

*Pop*

Ruby decides to battle the Mightyena, and sends out Nana, and has her use Leer as he declared, "… The magnificent, incomparable Poochyena – Nana!! Behold!! In a Pokémon Contest, it's important how you call out your Pokémon from their Poké Balls. Even your introduction has to appeal to the judges. Okay now, Nana… Leer!"

Nana moved around using Leer, staring down the Mightyena with elegant grace. This surprised Birch, who exclaimed, "Oooh, what an elegant move! But…"

The move doesn't do anything due to Ruby caring only about appearances, as Birch pointed out, "… it did not affect them. Crap…"

The Mightyena pounce on them again. Ruby muttered, grabbing Birch's bag, "Well, that didn't work…"

Ruby and Birch run away from the attackers as Birch yelled, stating the obvious, "Of course not!! You can't do anything with your Pokémon if all you care about is its looks!! What are you training your Pokémon for anyway?!"

Ruby smirked, hearing that as he said proudly, taking a sneaky peek at the Mightyena, "Pokémon contests, of course! Those Mightyena run so gracefully too… I hope my Nana grows up to be just like them. Oh. I picked up your bag for you, by the way."

Birch replied as he ran for his life, "We can talk about that later! But – "

*WZZZZZ*

Just as Birch was about to respond, the soles of Ruby's shoes began spiraling, sending him dashing forward in a huge burst of speed. Birch's eyes widened, recognizing them as he uttered, shocked, "What the? Those shoes!!!"

*BOING*

Ruby continues running until he jumps off a cliff, until a Pokémon covered in leaves swings by and saves him. But from Birch's point of view yelled worriedly, "Oh no!!!"

But he froze, seeing that the Mightyena's sights were now on him as they began to climb the cliff with excellent agility. Birch quickly ran, muttering, "Oh hell no! Not again – Ack!"

*Thud*

Prof. Birch then bumped into Azure as he was casually taking a walk, and they both fell. His Pikachu and Eevee jumped down, landing safely, snickering.

Prof. Birch looks up and quickly apologizes to the person he ran into before stopping in his tracks, "I'm so sorry, young man! But come with me if you want to live – Nani?!"

Birch stops to see that it was Azure, the person coming over, sent by Prof. Oak. He steadily got up, chuckling lightly as he said cooly, "Hahaha… what kind of greeting is this, Birch? I come to your home, and no one is around, only locals saying you're on Route 101. Then I see you bump into me?"

*Tmp*

Birch looked a bit embarrassed, but it was short-lived as the Mightyena appeared. Birch's eyes widened in worry, but Azure hurled two Poke Balls, declaring, "No worries, for I am here! Go! Vulpix! Roar! Psyduck! Water Pulse!"

*Pop*

Both Poke Balls opened, materializing in a flash of light, an Alpha Vulpix and an Alpha Psyduck standing in between them and the Wild Pokémon. Instantly, both did their moves as Vulpix roared, "VULLL!!! (BOW BEFORE ME MONGRELS!!!)"

*Shoook*

Both Mightyena froze, flinching in fear of the Alpha Pokémon. Psyduck's eyes are usually dopey, narrowed, locking in an open mouth, "Psy! (BOW BEFORE THE MIGHTY PSYDUCK!)"

*SPLASH*

It unleashed a stream of water surrounded by rings from its mouth at both of them. They were pushed back and harmed by the attack.

They looked at each other and Azure's Pokémon. They nodded as they turned tail to leave immediately.

Prof. Birch's eyes widened, and he exhaled a breath of relief. But then, Azure asked a request in a serious tone, "Whew… thank goodness they're gone-no wait! I'm sorry, Azure, but can I ask you a favor of the utmost importance!"

Vulpix and Psyduck walked to his side, listening to Birch's request. He calmly replied, "Sure. What's the stitch?"

Prof. Birch began to explain what happened and pointed to the cliff down below as he urgently said in a concerned voice, "Before you came, another boy was here with me. But he fell off the cliff with the running shoes his father brought for him! Can you see if his alright and bring him back!"

Azure nodded as he began to tread down the cliff carefully, as he said to Birch, "Got it. But I suggest you hurry home, Prof. Try to get into contact with him in the meantime."

Prof. Birch nodded and began to leave frantically. Azure, on the other hand, smirked as he muttered, "So Ruby is at this point, huh? Guess I'll try to save both his and Sapphire's asses then. Time to get to work."

/////

A/N: Reach the goal of 400 PS to get a Bonus Chapter!