Chapter 2 - Registering

Before long we arrived at Professor Birch's lab in Littleroot Town. Ruby got off the Mach Bike and walked through the front door of the lab, while I followed her.
"Professor Birch, are you here?" Ruby asked, calling out into the lab.
"Ruby?" a manly voice said coming from the back of the lab.
"Yes, it's me," Ruby said.
"What is it today Ruby? Professor Birch is out in the field again," the same manly voice said, as a man came out from behind a book shelf, wearing glasses.
"Okay, thank you," Ruby said, and turned around and walked past me and out the door.
I followed her out not saying a word, until we were outside. It was just then that a man came walking in our direction, wearing tan colored shorts, a blue t-shirt, a lab coat, and sandals. This guy I recognized as Professor Birch from the Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire games.
"Hello Ruby," Professor Birch said.
"Hello Professor Birch," Ruby said, while bowing. "This boy here is without any Pokemon, could you give him one?"
"Sure, I'd be happy to. What is your name boy?" Professor Birch asked.
"My name is Nathan," I said.
"Okay Nathan, come this way," Professor Birch said, walking into the lab that me and Ruby had just walked out of.
Ruby walked in first and I followed her, not quite sure as to what I should do. I followed them to the back of the lab where research notes lied everywhere. I didn't comment on how messy the lab was, and assumed this was normal for scientists of this sort.
"Is there any particular Pokemon you are looking for Nathan?" Professor Birch asked.
"Umm no, not really," I said.
"Then you may chose among these three Pokeballs," Professor Birch said, pulling out three Pokeballs from his bag and placing them on a table.
"I have to chose? This is tough," I said.
"What is that, if you don't mind my asking?" Professor Birch asked, pointing to the Digivice connected to my belt and putting his bag down on the floor.
"Oh, it's called a Digivice," I said, taking it off my belt and showing it to Professor Birch.
Then the screen shined brightly like it did once before, and when the light supsided a dinosaur-like creature stood beside me. I jumped in surprise and then noticed that this creature was the very Digimon I had drawn, and named Infinimon.
"What is that? Some new Pokemon?" Professor Birch asked me.
"No, this is a Digimon," I said.
Then the Digimon I drew, Infinimon, walked over to the three Pokeballs and examined them closely, sniffing them like a dog.
"Infinimon?" I said, trying to get the Digimon's attention.
Infinimon turned and walked over to me, nuzzling my arm.
"Wow! I can't believe he's real," I said.
"He?" Infinimon said, in a feminine voice.
"Wait a minute, I drew you as a boy," I said.
"You never specified any gender, what do you expect?" Infinimon said.
I was totally disappointed now, my supposedly new male Digimon, was actualy female. I sighed disappointed and nervous, as I never felt very comfortable around woman. I was always shy around woman, and a female Digimon wouldn't help.
"Well master, what's wrong?" Infinimon asked me.
"Please don't call me master, my name is Nathan," I said.
"I-It can talk?!" Professor Birch said in surprise.
"Yes, all Digimon can talk," Infinimon said.
Infinimon stood just a foot shorter than me, and looked fearsome, just as I drew her. Yet she was basically harmless at the moment, which was a relief.
"It's cute," Ruby said, petting Infinimon on the head.
"Thank you," Infinimon said, enjoying the petting.
As the three of them conversed I walked over to the three Pokeballs and looked at each of them. One had a shape of a Mudkip on it, another had the shape of a Torchic on it, and the last had the shape of a Treecko on it.
"Having to chose between them is hard," I said to myself.
Infinimon walked over to me and nuzzled my arm again.
"What is it?" I asked, looking down at her.
"Why don't you have all three Master Nathan?" Infinimon asked.
"One, I said not to call me master, and two, I have to chose, Professor Birch said to choose one," I said.
Infinimon looked to Professor Birch and Ruby, and then so did I, wondering what she was looking at. Professor Birch and Ruby then looked at each other, not saying anything, as if they knew what the other was thinking.
"It is okay if you take all three Nathan, since you will be traveling a lot, I can tell. All I ask is that when you are done your journey that I may examine your 'Digimon' here," Professor Birch said.
"Sure, is that okay with you Infinimon?" I asked.
"Of course, whatever you want," Infinimon said.
"Then it is decided, here take this, it will help you along your journey," Ruby said.
She handed me a small backpack and some currency of somesort. The currency I assumed was Pokedollars, or whatever they call it, and put it into my pants pocket. I examined the inside of the small backpack and found several Pokeballs inside, a collapsible bike, a few potions and antidotes, and other miscellaneous items.
"Thanks a lot," I said, smiling at her.
I looked to Infinimon still smiling, and she smiled as best as a Digimon like her could, trying to mimic me.
"Be careful on your journey," Professor Birch said, handing me the three Pokeballs.
"I will, thank you both," I said and walked out of the lab with Infinimon tagging along beside me.
I pulled out the collapsible bike and noticed it was a Mach Bike just like Ruby's. I smiled at both Professor Birch and Ruby's generosity, then looked at Infinimon, who had her head tilted to the side starring at me in curiousity.
"You like that Ruby don't you?" Infinimon asked suddenly.
"What? Don't be absurd, I just met her, and barely know anything about her," I said defensively.
"Yeah, yeah," Infinimon said, not convinced.
"Are you going to walk beside me the whole way?" I asked, slightly annoyed with what she said.
"Of course not, you do know how to use your Digivice right? That's a new type of Digivice, where I can be stored in," Infinimon said.
"Huh? Really?" I asked.
"Man, you're not so bright," Infinimon said, grabbing the Digivice from my hand. "I'll show you, press this button while facing the Digivice at me, and I will be stored inside."
She showed me the button to press and then handed me the Digivice back. I faced the Digivice at Infinimon and pressed the button. A light emerged from the Digivice and surrounded Infinimon, who then just disappeared.
"Woah," I said, clipping the Digivice back onto my belt.
I got onto my new Mach Bike and petaled to the next town, which I knew was Oldale Town. I decided that I would register for the Pokemon League while I was here, since I had no idea how long I would be here and I had no idea how to get home.

I rode right through Oldale Town and on towards Petalburg City. Along the way I came across a wild Zigzagoon eating a berry. I stopped petaling and set my Mach Bike to the side. I decided I would catch this Pokemon while I had the chance. I pulled out the Pokeball that had Torchic on it, pushed the button on the front to make the ball bigger, and threw the Pokeball in the direction of the wild Zigzagoon. The Pokeball landed just a foot in front of the wild Zigzagoon, who looked up from the berry it was eating and saw the Pokeball land. A Torchic appeared from the Pokeball I threw, and faced the wild Zigzagoon, as the Pokeball that Torchic came from automatically returned to the palm of my hand.
"Torchic, Scratch!" I said, knowing Scratch and Growl was the only moves it knew at the moment.
Torchic ran up to the wild Zigzagoon and used it's Scratch attack, causing the Zigzagoon to step back and drop it's berry. Then the wild Zigzagoon made a growling noise, and I knew that was it's Growl attack. If I remembered correctly Growl lowered the opponent's defense.
"Scratch again Torchic," I said.
Torchic listened and used Scratch again, and KO'd the wild Zigzagoon. I threw an empty Pokeball at the wild Zigzagoon and it was pulled into the Pokeball. The Pokeball shook back and forth as the wild Zigzagoon struggled inside the Pokeball. Then the Pokeball stopped shaking back and forth and a ding noise could be heard. I knew then that I successfully caught the Zigzagoon. I ran over to the Pokeball and picked it up and put it away. Then I looked to Torchic and pointed the Pokeball it came from towards it.
"Great job Torchic, return," I said, and the Torchic was pulled back into it's Pokeball.
I clenched my fists as I was so happy that I had caught a real life Pokemon. I couldn't believe Pokemon actually existed, and yet I just caught one.
I looked through the backpack that Ruby gave me and found a small little pouch inside. I examined it, and noticed that I could slide it onto my belt and hold six Pokeballs inside. I quickly undid my belt and slide the pouch on next to my Digivice, then redid my belt. I stuck the Pokeballs with Torchic, Mudkip, Treecko, and Zigzagoon into the pouch, leaving room for two additional Pokeballs. I then picked up the Mach Bike by the handle bars and got on it. I rode the Mach Bike all the way to Petalburg City.
Once I arrived at Petalburg City, I went straight to the Pokemon Center, leaning my Mach Bike against the outside wall. I walked up to the front counter where a pink haired woman stood in a nurse outfit.
"Hello, let me guess your name is Joy, am I correct?" I asked the woman.
"Yes, that is correct, how did you know?" the woman asked me.
"Oh, I was just wondering," I said, avoiding the question.
I didn't know how to answer her question exactly. I couldn't tell her that she was a character in a cartoon and a video game from where I'm from.
"Can I help you?" Joy asked.
"Yes, I would like to heal my Pokemon, and I would also like to register for the Pokemon League," I said, taking the the four Pokeballs out of the pouch, making them normal size, and placing them in a tray on the counter in front of me.
"Do you have a Pokedex? You need one to register," Joy said.
My eyes widened in surprise. I had forgotten all about needing a Pokedex for registration. I looked through the pack Ruby gave me wildly, hoping she put one in there. I couldn't find it with all the stuff in there and dumped the contents of the pack onto the counter. I caught a glimpse of something red fall over on Joy's side of the counter. Joy knelt down and picked it up, allowing me to get a better look at it. It was a Pokedex, and I let out a sigh of relief that I had one.
"You should keep this on you instead of in your pack, so you can find it easier," Joy said.
"Yeah, thanks for the tip," I said, feeling stupid as she said that.
Joy slid the Pokedex into the PC nearby to her, I leaned over the counter a little to look at the screen as a picture of me appeared on the screen. I nearly fell over the counter in surprise as I don't know how a picture of me ever got on there, yet caught myself before I fell over.
"Okay, Nathan," Joy said. "Your registration is now complete."
As she said that the Pokedex popped out of the PC and she handed it to me. Then she took the tray of my Pokemon and put them onto a machine. I stuck the Pokedex into my front, right pants pocket and cleaned up everything that I dumped onto the counter and put it all neatly into the pack. I put the small backpack on as I waited for my Pokemon to heal, fidgeting with the edge of the counter as I waited. Then Joy took the tray with my Pokemon on them and placed it on the counter in front of me.
"There you go, your Pokemon are all healed," Joy said.
"Thank you," I said, grabbing the Pokeballs as they shrank back to their small size and putting them into the pouch on my belt.
"Have a nice day," Joy said with a smile.