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Taylor’s Adventure Begins
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hree years after Ash’s adventure to become the world’s greatest Pokémon Master came to an exciting end, the quest of a new, up-and-coming trainer is about to begin! Located many miles from Pallet Town, where Professor Oak and Ash live happily, is a land called Johto. In this country is the small community of New Bark Town. It’s here that an adventurous young lad named Taylor lives. Taylor dreams of becoming a great Pokémon Champion just like Ash once did. To earn this title, however, a trainer must first defeat each of the eight Gym Leaders who are located in the various cities throughout Johto. Only by collecting all eight Pokémon League Badges and then traveling to Indigo Plateau to defeat the world’s greatest Pokémon Masters, known as the Elite Four, can Taylor earn the title of Pokémon Champion.
It was the beginning of another beautiful day in New Bark Town. The sun was just rising over the sleepy town when, in the midst of a dream, Professor Oak was awakened. “Wha…? You woke me up!” he cried. After determining what time it was, he got ready to go to his lab. Meanwhile, in another part of town, Taylor looked at the clock in his room and realized he had overslept! The young trainer was supposed to meet his good friend and teacher, Professor Elm, five minutes ago! “Yikes! I’m late!” he thought, as he jumped out of bed. When Taylor went downstairs, his mom handed him his Pokémon Gear, which was just back from the repair shop. Pokémon Gear, also known as PokéGear, is essential to becoming a good trainer. 2
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Built into Taylor’s PokéGear was a powerful, yet tiny, cellular phone. The people of Johto used them to stay in contact with each other. The auto-dial feature of Taylor’s phone had Professor Elm’s and his mother’s phone numbers programmed into it, so the young trainer could always stay in touch no matter where he traveled. Today was going to be exciting for Taylor. The professor had promised to give him his very first Pokémon to love and train. With his PokéGear in hand, Taylor set off to Professor Elm’s lab, located across town.
Taylor explores New Bark Town as he heads toward Professor Elm’s lab.
While walking through his hometown, Taylor met several of his young friends, who had heard rumors about Professor Elm’s discovery of new Pokémon. Taylor had spent countless hours reading about the adventures of Ash and Professor Oak, and how they gathered information about all 151 known Pokémon for the PokéDex, a computerized encyclopedia. It would be very exciting for trainers everywhere if Professor Elm had actually discovered new varieties of Pokémon. It would also mean that someone would have to update the PokéDex with all of the additional information. Chapter
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After walking a short distance to the west, Taylor arrived at a large structure with a sign in front that read “Elm Pokémon Lab.” He stepped inside and quickly made his way to the back of the building where Professor Elm was patiently waiting.
Taylor finds Professor Elm’s lab and goes inside to find his friend and teacher.
“There you are!” exclaimed Professor Elm, who had a big smile on his face. He was clearly happy to see his young friend. “I needed to ask you a favor. I have an acquaintance, called Mr. Pokémon. He keeps finding weird things and raving about his discoveries. Anyway, I just got an e-mail from him saying that this time it’s real. It is intriguing, but we’re too busy with our Pokémon research. Could you look into it for us?” asked the professor. Taylor couldn’t contain his excitement. He was eager to begin working with the professor in hopes of becoming a better Pokémon trainer. This was the perfect opportunity. In order to help the professor, Taylor would first need his own Pokémon. Located on a nearby desk were three Poké Balls.
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“These are all rare Pokémon that we just found.”
Pointing to these Poké Balls, the professor stated, “These are all rare Pokémon that we just found. Go on . . . pick one!” Taylor examined each of the Poké Balls and ultimately selected the one on the left. “You’ll take Cyndaquil, the fire Pokémon. I think that’s a great Pokémon.” Upon accepting the Poké Ball, Taylor was given the opportunity to give his new Pokémon partner a nickname. After careful consideration, he decided to name his very first Pokémon FireFriend. “Mr. Pokémon lives near CherryGrove City, the next city. It’s almost a direct route to there,” explained the professor. As Taylor exited the lab to visit Mr. Pokémon, and learn more about his mysterious discoveries, one of Professor Elm’s lab assistants gave him a Potion which would help to keep his new Pokémon partner, FireFriend, healthy during a battle.
Name: Cyndaquil™ (Nickname: FireFriend) Number: 155 Type: Fire
When Taylor was once again outside, in the heart of New Bark Town, he walked to the west and followed Route 29. While strolling along the grassy areas, the brave young trainer encountered his first wild Pokémon! Now he could test the abilities of FireFriend and participate in an actual battle. Taylor’s heart was racing with excitement.
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The wild Pokémon turned out to be a level 4 Rattata. Taylor hoped this normal Pokémon would not prove to be too difficult to beat. After all, his Pokémon partner was a level 5 Cyndaquil.
Taylor and his Pokémon partner battle a wild Rattata.
The battle began with FireFriend using its mighty Tackle attack. The enemy Rattata retaliated by launching a powerpacked Tail Whip. When FireFriend used another of its Tackle attacks, the Rattata’s HP (Hit Points) dropped considerably. By the fourth consecutive Tackle attack, FireFriend had easily defeated the wild Rattata, giving FireFriend 32 Name: Rattata™ experience points! “Awesome!” Number: 19 thought Taylor as he congratulated Type: Normal his Pokémon partner. Taylor was very proud of his new Pokémon. Together, they had defeated a wild Pokémon for the first time. Both Taylor and FireFriend knew this was just the first of many exciting battles to come.
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Taylor follows Route 29 as he heads for Mr. Pokémon’s house.
Following the path along Route 29, Taylor encountered additional wild Pokémon, including a level 2 Pidgey, which FireFriend quickly caused to faint by using repeated Tackle attacks. After traveling through a building located on Route 29, Taylor soon found himself moving along Route 46. Here, a wild level 3 Geodude was waiting to launch a surprise attack.
Name: Pidgey™ Number: 16 Type: Normal/Flying
Once again, FireFriend’s Tackle proved to be superior to the moves of his opponent, which included the Rock Throw. His next battle was against a Pokémon that Taylor had never seen before. It was a wild, long-tailed Pokémon capable of launching several powerful attacks, including Name: Tackle and Quick attacks. With Geodude™ Number: 74 Taylor’s guidance, FireFriend also Type: Rock/Ground caused this Pokémon rival to faint.
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When Taylor finally arrived in CherryGrove City, he came across a Pokémon Center, where he replenished the health of FireFriend. Located next door was a Pokémon Mart, where valuable items could be purchased. Here, Taylor stocked up on Potions to keep his existing Pokémon healthy during battles. After receiving a quick tour of CherryGrove City from an older Pokémon trainer named Guide Gent, Taylor was given a Map Card as a gift. This made an excellent addition to his PokéGear and would help to keep him from getting lost during his upcoming quest.
Guide Gent offers Taylor a free tour of the city and then presents him with a Map Card.
Upon leaving CherryGrove City, Taylor made his way toward Violet City, where he soon came upon a sign that read “Mr. Pokémon’s House Straight Ahead!” This was the person that Taylor was looking for. He was clearly on the right path! Taylor soon came across a medium-sized house. Inside, Mr. Pokémon was waiting. “Hello! Hello! You must be Taylor,” said the friendly man who was dressed in a black suit.
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“Professor Elm said that you would visit. This is what I want Professor Elm to examine.” Mr. Pokémon handed Taylor a Mystery Egg, which he placed in his Key Pocket. Inside this egg could be a mysterious new type of Pokémon, but only Professor Elm could tell for sure.
Taylor meets Mr. Pokémon
“I know a couple who run a Pokémon Day Care Center. They gave me that egg. I was intrigued so I’m sending it to Professor Elm. For Pokémon evolution, Professor Elm is the authority. If my assumption is correct that this is a new type of Pokémon, Professor Elm will confirm it,” said Mr. Pokémon to the eager young trainer. Standing near Mr. Pokémon was a man Taylor hadn’t noticed earlier. It was Professor Oak, a living legend in the World of Pokémon! He was the man who had discovered so much useful information about Pokémon and created the original PokéDex. Professor Oak was paying a friendly visit to his old friend Mr. Pokémon, but he quickly became interested in the Mystery Egg. He was also impressed by Taylor’s eagerness
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to help Professor Elm. Professor Oak quickly determined that this young lad had what it takes to become a great trainer.
Taylor is excited to meet his idol, Professor Oak, who is the world’s foremost expert on Pokémon research.
“Professor Elm saw that you would treat your Pokémon with love and care. You seem to be dependable,” said Professor Oak. Then he too asked Taylor for a favor.
Taylor and Professor Oak have a serious chat. The professor decides to give the young trainer his very own PokéDex.
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“How would you like to help me out?” he asked as he pulled out one of his latest inventions. It was an all-new PokéDex! “It automatically records data on Pokémon you’ve seen or caught. It’s a high-tech encyclopedia!” Taylor’s eyes were wide with excitement. The legendary Professor Oak was about to give him his very own PokéDex! Upon receiving this awesome gift, the young trainer agreed to help the professor gather information about new varieties of Pokémon. After conducting extensive research, Professors Oak and Elm concluded that there were probably many new varieties of Pokémon that still needed to be discovered and studied. Many of these unknown varieties could probably be found somewhere in Johto. Just as Taylor was saying farewell to his two new friends, he received an urgent phone call from Professor Elm, who asked him to return to his lab immediately. Taylor quickly gathered his belongings and set off again toward CherryGrove City. He traveled as quickly as he could, taking several shortcuts.
Taylor receives an urgent phone call from Professor Elm–he must return to his hometown fast!
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Taylor encountered many wild Pokémon, including Pidgey, along his trek home. By this point, his Pokémon partner, FireFriend, had reached level 9. He was making his owner very proud, as he had little trouble defeating the rival Pokémon he encountered. As soon as Taylor returned to CherryGrove City, he came upon another young and eager Pokémon trainer who seemed to be waiting for him. Taylor was challenged to a battle by the mysterious trainer, who sent out a level 5 Totodile.
Taylor meets a mysterious Pokémon trainer with long, red hair who wants to battle.
FireFriend launched several of its most powerful attacks, and was soon victorious. Taylor’s adversary wasn’t happy about losing. “I’m going to be the world’s greatest Pokémon trainer!” cried the stranger as he ran off, leaving Taylor free to return to Professor Name: Elm’s lab. Totodile™ Number: 158 Type: Water
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Running as fast as he could, Taylor soon reached the front door of the professor’s lab
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and entered. Professor Elm was speaking with a police officer. “I heard a Pokémon was stolen from here. I was just getting some information,” reported the officer. “Apparently, the culprit was a young male with long, red hair.” As soon as Taylor heard this description, he knew that the culprit was the young Pokémon trainer he had just defeated in the outskirts of town. It turned out the trainer’s name was Mark. The police officer left the lab to investigate the theft of the professor’s prized Poké Ball, while Professor Elm and Taylor remained in the lab and discussed the Mystery Egg that Taylor had delivered to Professor Elm, from Mr. Pokémon. During the conversation, Taylor told Professor Elm all about meeting his idol, Professor Oak.
“Wow! Taylor, you may have what it takes to become the Champion.”
“He is superb at seeing the potential of people as trainers,” said Professor Elm. “Wow! Taylor, you may have what it takes to become the Champion. You should take the Pokémon Gym Challenge. The closest gym would be the one in Violet City.” Taylor knew that the road to becoming a Pokémon Champion would be a long one. Yet he knew that he had the courage and training skills necessary to make his dream of becoming a true Pokémon Master a reality.
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As Taylor exited the lab–to begin his journey to Violet City in hopes of beating the Gym Leader there–he was given five Poké Balls as a gift. Before departing from his hometown, however, the hopeful young trainer decided to drop by his house and bid farewell to his mother. Taylor’s mother was sorry to see him go, but offered to help him save the money he earned by beating other Pokémon trainers. Taylor gratefully accepted this offer and set off on his journey. His next stop would be Violet City. He needed to beat the Gym Leader there in order to obtain his first Official Pokémon League Badge–the ZephyrBadge. The trip itself would also be exciting, as he was sure to encounter many wild Pokémon and other surprises along the way.
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