Chapter Five

Damian had finally been able to convince his mother, in reality his step-mother with the aid of his father to go on a journey after receiving his Starter Pokémon from Professor Sylvan. Though before going on a journey, he also needed to get a gift for the Second Augur Jaern who is said to be visiting Telnor Town today.

The dirt blonde haired boy is aware of the fact that the Telnor Cave has lots of rare kind of stones and he can gift one rare stone to the Augur. But in order to venture into the aforementioned cave, he needs to have a Pokémon of his own by his side as Telnor Cave is a nest for wild Pokémon.

What Damian didn't see coming was a man dressed in a black trench coat and fedora arguing with Professor Sylvan about something he has no clue about. But it definitely is putting a delay on his receiving a Starter Pokémon.

To add icing on the cake, another boy of the same age as him or maybe a bit younger than him with black-gray hair and crimson eyes came and stood beside him in waiting. He wore a full-sleeved white T-shirt with a red lining running in the collar underneath a half-sleeved black sweatshirt and a pair of black jeans, complimented with a pair of dark themed shoes.

Wait are sweatshirts available in half sleeves? This is his first time seeing one.

He had never seen this boy in the Town so maybe he is new here. Or he heard that the Augur is coming and maybe traveled here to Telnor in order to get a glimpse of him. Who would miss a chance to meet with the Augur anyway? It will be an honor for anyone to meet the Augur.

"Are you here to meet the Augur too?" Damian initiated the conversation albeit in whispers since it would be rude to talk loudly in front of two arguing adults. "You don't look from around here."

Before he could receive any kind of answer from the seemingly unknown male beside him, the man in fedora nearly snapped and uttered something which made Damian forget about the Augur visiting.

"Damn it Vanessa! Can't you just listen for once!" The man in trench coat growled, his voice sounding desperate. "If these aren't taken under any trainer then they would die in the wild!"

The revelation from the man nearly blew the minds of the listeners which even included the distracted Sho. Just what kind of Pokémon did the person had in his possession that he claimed that they would die if left in the wild. The two trainers present by the doorway of the lab were rendered speechless while Sylvan seemed deep in thought.

As a Professor she can't abandon Pokémon who carry the risk of dying if left in the wilderness. Her principles and morals won't allow that at all. Even if the Pokémon are offered by the man in front of her whom she despised to no end, she can't let the Pokémon suffer just because who was offering them. The Pokémon are not at fault here. Catching the sight of two trainers by her doorway, she cleared her throat.

"Put them on the table and leave." Her voice sounded stern.

The man nodded, a flicker of smile, creeping up his visage before he kept three pokéballs by the empty table in front of him and left without saying anything at all. Soon he was nowhere in sight.

"My apologies for that." Professor Sylvan grunted, adjusting her glasses, stepping forward to greet the trainers in. "I wasn't expecting a visit from that man. Putting that aside, what can I do for you two?"

"Hello Professor, i am Damian and I am here to get a--"

"Get a Pokémon right?" Sylvan finished earning a nod from Damian before gazing towards Sho. "I guess you are for the same reason."

"No. I already have my own. All I require is the thing called the Pokédex which helps find out moves and abilities of the Pokémon owned by a trainer." Sho stated his demand.

"Oh makes sense." Professor Sylvan muttered seeing one potential candidate for taking care of 'those' Pokémon already slipping away. She had reserves about giving them away to starting trainers but as the man said they are need of trainers as well.

"I do have a few Eevees from where you can choose from." The azure-haired woman focused her gaze on Damian.

"You are worried about the Pokémon the man gave right?" It seemed Damian saw right through the Pokémon Expert as the latter hesitantly nodded. "I want to take a look if you allow."

"Why are you interested in something which already has one foot in the grave?" Sho rolled his eyes. What's the use of helping something out which is already beyond taking any help.

"The man said that they would die if they are not taken by any trainer." Damian retorted not believing his ears on how heartless can a person be towards some innocent Pokémon. "I can't call myself a trainer if I let Pokémon die knowing that I could have saved them."

"I get it. You want to see the Pokémon right?" Professor Sylvan interjected before the argument had any chance to escalate. "Very well."

The Pokémon Expert grabbed the three spheres before pressing each of their center buttons to release the creatures confined within.

What materialized from the capsules, blew up the mind of the two trainers present. By Professor Sylvan's unfazed expression, Damian deduced that she knew about them which is why she hesitated at first.

All three Pokémon bore striking resemblance to the starter Pokémon given out in the region of Kanto and yet they had certain deformities which set them apart from the original. The Bulbasaur was pink with a spotted bulb on his back; the Squirtle was purple and yellow in color and wore what appeared to be a black mask over his eyes. And the last one being Charmander was one of the most bizarre looking Charmander ever seen. It was a skeletal lizard with violet flame instead of usual orange ones on his tail and eyes.

"They are called the Delta Pokémon." Professor Sylvan resumed speaking, sensing that the trainers needed an explanation. "Their genetics were mutated during the breeding process. In fact there are more out in the world than you think."

"Really? How come we never saw one before?" Sho inquired while Damian's eyes darted between Squirtle and Bulbasaur. Sho was curious because he didn't see one on his way even though he did come running here from Arceus-forsaken cult base.

"They are not exactly the type to be out in the open. They are termed as "freaks" and are viewed as outcasts and such." Professor Sylvan explained.

"How come that is possible? Whenever an egg hatches, the offspring comes out normal unless.." Damian wandered off, the most possible possibility coming up his mind. "Something else is put into the mix.."

"You are right about that one and that is what we are researching on." Professor Sylvan explained before taking out a file from her cupboard titled Delta Ditto. "And this is the most plausible reason. So what will your choices be?"

"As I said before, I am here for the Pokédex and am still adamant about that." Sho crossed his arms shaking his head. "Find someone else to be messiah here."

"How can you be so heartless?!" Damian had never seen someone this heartless towards Pokémon in his life. Even his constantly nagging step-mother is better than him. "Professor! I will be taking Squirtle!"

The Dark/Fighting-type perked up on hearing his name being called out and his eyes fell on the dirt-blonde teen. Squirtle had never expected to be chosen by a human given his deformity. He expected most of them to behave like the two-tone haired human standing beside the one with bandages in his right arm. The Pokémon slowly walked up to his newly declared trainer, rubbing his face by his feet before being slowly picked up by Damian.

"Everyone has their own choices." Professor Sylvan spoke, glad that at least one them will be able to live longer. She hoped that there might be more trainers like Damian who would want to take Bulbasaur and Charmander.

She didn't blame Sho for his choice either. Seeing his bandaged arm and distrustful face, she felt that he already has a lot on his plate and does not wish to add another problem to it. Also he seemed oddly familiar for some reason but then again not.

"Call me heartless but I have no such desire of dragging already endangered Pokémon into even more danger by travelling with me. They are better off safe here and with trainers like you." Sho rebuked.

In all honesty, Sho knew it is heartless for him to leave those Pokémon like this when being under a trainer could save their lives and prolong their living. But he couldn't bring himself to do that. He is well aware that he is someone with a target on his back and whoever goes alongside him in his quest of regaining his memories and finding out his benefactor will suffer the same fate.

And he has no intentions of sharing his burden with anyone. Mightyena is someone who agreed to this herself. But the case of the Delta Pokémon is entirely different. He can't drag them to danger along with him.

"Here you go." Sylvan proceeded to take out two cuboidal red colored devices from one of her drawers and handed them to the trainers. "Your Pokédexes."

"Thank you Professor." The two trainers chorused before taking her leave. Now she herself has to get ready to meet with the Augur after entertaining a few more trainers who had prior appointments related to Starter Pokémon with her.

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Having received his Pokédex, Sho had made his mind to hightail out of the city before the Augur arrives. He had no intention of meeting with the Hero of Torren given the fact he has much more important task at hand. And if he gets a little late in leaving then the crowd of the town might delay his departure even more.

Well that was what he had in mind, until Damian came into the picture challenging him to a battle.

"You what?" Sho raised his eyebrow at the boy who had ran past him and now stood on his way.

"You heard me. I challenge you to a battle." Damian stated, gripping his pokéball tightly in his hand.

"And what do you gain from battling me?"

"I declare you as my rival on my path to becoming the Champion!" Damian declared.

"Good luck on your dream and I am not interested in it so step aside." Sho spoke with little to no enthusiasm in his voice. He sounded total opposite of Damian.

"Beat me and I will gracefully step aside." Damian pressed his point and called out Squirtle in the open.

"Well you asked for it." Sho irritatingly replied before releasing Mightyena in the open.

Mightyena's eyes nearly popped out of her head seeing something resembling a Squirtle but definitely not a Squirtle. It was her first time seeing something like this. The Dark-type wondered what kind of wonders are there in the world left to see. Then she remembered about some of the Pokémon who appear completely different from the original known ones. She had seen one way before she evolved.

"Mightyena, the Bite Pokémon. It will always obey the commands of a skilled Trainer. Its behavior arises from its living in packs in ancient times."

"Delta Squirtle, the Ninja Pokémon. Though its shell causes it to stand out when hiding in the shadows, it conceals itself using the cloth on its back."

'The typing here is going to be a pain in the neck.' Sho kept his Pokédex aside, grimacing at the typing of the Squirtle. His Dark-type is at a considerable disadvantage. He will have to use his brain here to secure a win.

Now that he thought about it, having a battle doesn't seem like a bad idea it all. It will even help him get stronger in order to defend himself against the cultists who are mostly after his head for reason he has no clue about. He will have to find that out as well and the only way of doing so is getting stronger by challenging trainers around the Torren Region and beating them.

He has no clue how far he will go with this but it never hurts to try.