The Day Before-
Your journey begins…
Tomorrow
Registration begins at midday!Those of you that pre registered (for a sizeable fee) had it in writing.Those of you turning up on the day to try and snag a free entry spot found out from a friend of a friend, maybe your friend’s sister’s chiropodist, but I digress. Either way, everyone coming to Lo Town knew registration was at midday.
Everyone also knew that registration was competitive and you had to arrive early to get a spot. Rumour had it that pre-registration was so high this year that there were only 5 spots left for unregistered applicants. A rumour like that always seemed to go out somewhere between payday and when pre registration closed but that was just a funny coincidence.
Early morning buses were booked up weeks in advance, hotels were bursting at the seams, weeks of saving, months of planning all leading up to this moment. You, standing in a very long queue in front of the registration desk in the town square. The square is right at the intersection of the town's four main roads which fan out like a peace sign. Three small legs one to Saffron, one to Celadon, one to Cerulean and in the centre one long road leading up towards Mount Moon.
Just on the horizon, if you look very carefully through the banners and streamers you can see the sparkling windows of the beautiful manor house gleaming in the sun. It’s a stirring sight on a beautiful day.
No matter how far back in line you are you can clearly hear an argument happening at the registration desk between a small girl and a sour looking old man, you (actually you probably wouldn’t) know as Elder Robert.
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Elder Robert ran the registration desk every year. He was a grumpy old man who yearned for the simple life and complained loudly about how positively unsimple this modern world was. Nevertheless he liked today because 96% of registration applicants (and yes he had done the maths) were so simple he never had to deviate from his script.
1. Parent and child nervously approach desk.
2. Cue first line “Welcome to Lo Town home of the Official Pokemon Sanctuary. We’re so glad you’ve chosen us as the place to begin your Pokemon journey. Can you confirm if you’ve pre registered?”
If parent skint or sensible no/ if parent rich or fool yes. Either way continue to line 33. “Can I have your official Pokemon registration card please?”
Parent ferrets in pocket whilst child looks concernedly up hoping parent hasn’t messed up this day. Cue reassuring smile.4. Parent finds Id card, passes it to spawn to hand over. Cue second reassuring smile and mindless platitude about what a gentleman/ lady the brat is.
5. Receive stupidly named “Pokedex” from Elder Priscilla. Put card/number in Pokedex. Wait. Cue reassuring comment “We’re just putting your card into this machine to verify that you’re not the owner of any other Pokemon as this event is for first time trainers only.”
6. Flashing lights- irksome voice says. “Welcome<insert trainer name here>. You’ve caught 0 pokemon, you’ve seen 0 pokemon.”
7. Cue smile and comment “it’s always a tense moment that. Well thank you <insert trainer name here>. <You’ll be the insert next number in sequence> to enter the Sanctuary.”
8. “Now finally to lock in your spot and claim your goody bag including your very own pokedex (sponsored by Sliph Co- Innovation through Experimentation) and a voucher for some brand new pokegear (sponsored by the Celadon Game Corner- Be Lucky) we need you to sign this form.”
9. Slide over exceptionally long form nullifying any health and safety liability, signing the child up to a lifetime of adverts through said “generously” given chipped Pokedex, allowing Lo Town to use their image in any future advertising (especially if they become famous) and subscribing them both to a copy of Poke Monthly for 19.99 each unless cancelled within 7 days.
10. Watch benignly as the length of the queue and the child's impatience to get their brand new Pokedex forces parent to sign 3.75 page form halfway down page 1.
11. Close “Thank you so much. Please note we’re holding a little party up at the Sanctuary tonight with a special talk by former Indigo League Champion and our very own Keeper of the Keys”
Indicate to fat old coot waddling around the square
“Ken Adams. More details in your goody bag.” Take bag from Elder Priscilla, hand it and pokedex to child.
12. “Congratulations, your very own Pokemon adventure is about to begin”
Rinse repeat.
Every year there was always a few kids that caused trouble and he’d hit a mine early this year. The brat was a short wiry girl with long flowing black hair. Her demeanour oozed superiority, her nose ever so slightly upturned to indicate that Elder Robert’s most expensive cologne actually smelt like Muk’s most watery bowel movement.
Despite the immense sign with rules and regulations the girl stood alone with only a fairly enormous cheque for company. Much could be forgiven at the right cost but even worse the pokedex in front of him quite clearly said Pokemon seen 15, Pokemon owned 1. That was the one rule that could not be broken. The sanctity of rookie trainers was something the elders had agreed long ago, something to preserve the heritage and unique nature of the Sanctuary Ritual. Break that and they may as well be a poor man’s Safari Zone.
“I’m sorry, my dear, despite the generous nature of your donation” he wheezed in his most sympathetic voice
“as you have owned a Pokemon, even in the past, we cannot allow you entry to the Sanctuary.”“That is unacceptable. I must enter the Sanctuary”The girl’s voice was clipped and cool yet her words made Robert stare. She must? His brain whirred as it tried to think of something clever to say. All he could come up with, though he added his most superior voice for good measure, was
“And why is that dear?”She trumped his superiority with icy rage
“Because there are several pokemon in their I wish to capture, you stupid old man”Beyond her excellent ability to hand him things there was a second reason Elder Priscilla manned the desk. A retired headmistress of Pokemon Academy, she was there to handle the troublesome 4% and at the child's words she got to her feet with the stiffness of a woman barely holding herself on a tight leash.
She moved round the desk, each step seeming to echo off the cobbles, her Farfetch’d strutting behind her; twirling his leek with dangerous menace.
“Where is your parent or guardian?”“My father is too important to set foot in a dump like this” the girl held her ground drawing herself up to her full height still managing to sneer despite having to crane her neck to meet Priscilla’s gaze.
“And yet you are not?” retorted Priscilla impervious to insult
“You bitch. When I tell him, he’ll burn this shit hole to the ground.”“Names will get you nowhere you young lady.” the girl tossed her hair angrily and opened her mouth to speak yet Elder Priscilla overrode her with supreme disdain
“You have contravened two of the rules of the Sanctuary and I suspect”Her beady eyes flew to the girls belt where 6 jet black pokeballs hung just on the edge of view.
“You intended to capture more than one Pokemon if you gained entry to the Sanctuary. As such though we appreciate your donation.”Holding the cheque at arms length she tore it cleanly in two
“We will not be giving you leave to enter the Sanctuary. Now please step aside, you are holding up the queue”The girl stood still as a statue, fury rendering her paralysed. She opened her mouth but a jovial voice overrode her
“Come with me dear. I understand you're upset but...”“Keep the fuck out of this fatso…..” the girl cut off halfway as she realised who she was speaking too. Ken Adam's face was smiling as jovial as ever but for a moment there was a dark glint in his bright eyes
“I dare say I’ve put on a bit of timber. Regardless come with me girl, we can talk this through.”
The girl's entire demeanour seemed to change in an instant morphing from fury to sly glee. She leered, a delighted grin seeming to ooze across her face
“Make me.”Her words were so quiet Ken had to lean forward
“Make me fatso!”It happened so fast it would have been easy to miss. Kaisa landed at Ken’s side falling from nowhere with the force of an avalanche. Her cry so loud it made the girl take a step backward. Even as the girl recoiled she reached from her belt and threw one of the balls straight at Kaisa, her lips opened in a shout of triumph which died as Kaisa’s neck flicked like a batter's arm, her beak connected with a loud thud sending the ball flying off in the direction of Saffron city.
Then the girl was gone sprinting off in the same direction seemingly immune to the people laughing and scoffing around her. Anyone that took the time to watch the girl running away would realise she didn’t look remotely embarrassed or upset, she looked confused and just a little frightened.