Pokémon Mano takes place in a world distinct from the one we know in the Pokémon series. The story begins in Pallet Town, where inside a cosy home, a woman named Rita calls out for a boy named Dango.
Our first glimpse of the protagonist is a dark-skinned 13-year-old boy, Dango Mano. His mother, Rita, shouts at him, irritated that he's late. Dango, confused, asks what she's talking about. It quickly dawns on him, and in a rush, he bolts out the front door, bumping into an older boy.
The older boy watches as Dango hurries toward the lab, then heads inside the house. It's revealed that this boy is Dango's older brother, Bango.
Bango: "Looks like Danny boy's finally getting his first Pokémon... a bit late though."
Rita: "You're back, how did it go?"
Bango: "Great."
Bango proudly displays his gym badges. Not just one, but two! Meanwhile, Dango is at the lab, pleading with Professor Daisy Oak for a Pokémon.
Daisy: "For the last time, we're all out of Pokémon. You came too late."
Dango: "Come on, Professor, there must be something left!"
Daisy: "No, not a single one. Some kids from town came and took them all. Even my daughter, your so-called girlfriend, took the last one."
Dango: "Rose is not my girlfriend! So you're telling me Treecko, Chimchar, and even Popplio are gone?"
Daisy: "Yep."
Dango: "Well, that sucks. Guess I'll have to catch one on Route One."
Daisy: "Oh no, that's too dangerous. Why don't you ask your brother to catch one for you?"
Dango: "Great idea if I want him to think I'm an idiot. Imagine the first day of being a trainer, and I mess it up."
Just then, Daisy gets a phone call and leaves the room, telling Dango to stay put and not touch anything. Dango looks around the lab, his curiosity piqued. His gaze falls on something hidden behind all the equipment—a Pokémon egg. Intrigued, he moves closer.
Dango: "A Pokémon egg... I wonder what's inside? Probably something badass."
Without warning, an unexplainable force seems to pull him closer. His hand moves toward the egg as if it has a will of its own. The moment his fingers make contact with the smooth surface, a soft blue glow pulses from within. The light intensifies, and with a sharp crack, the eggshell breaks open.
A tiny green fist punches through, followed by a trembling chirp. The glow fades, revealing a small, tusked Pokémon blinking up at him with wide amber eyes. Axew had hatched.
Dango watches in awe as Axew scurries around, chirping excitedly. Daisy returns, dropping her materials in shock. She rushes toward Axew, picking him up and noting that he's a shiny. But before she can say anything else, Axew bites her and scurries back to Dango.
Dango shouted for the Pokémon to stop running around, and to his surprise, it immediately obeyed. Daisy watched in astonishment, noting that in her 14 years as a Professor, she'd never seen a Pokémon imprint on a person so quickly. Her thoughts drifted to two male figures, but they were interrupted when Dango called out to her.
Dango: "So I think I found my starter, so I'll be on my way." (Starts to leave)
Daisy: "Hold it! You know Pokémon like these are hard to find, plus it's shiny."
Dango: "Where are you going with this?"
Daisy explains that while she isn't as old as her late grandfather, she'd rather stay at the lab. Just like Bango and Rose, Dango will be catching Pokémon for her. She hands him 5 Poké Balls and a Pokédex, making him the 3rd Dex holder.
Daisy: "Oh, and egg Pokémon tend to come with a special move, just keep that in mind."
Dango catches his Axew, but decides to leave it outside the Poké Ball. He heads back to his house, showing both his Pokémon and Pokédex to Bango and Rita. He challenges Bango to a Pokémon battle, and the two head outside with their mother cheering them on.
Bango: "You sure you want to do this, little boy? You just got your starter. I don't want to hurt the poor thing."
Dango: (Cutting him off) "Stop your yapping, right, Axew?"
Axew: "Axew!"
Bango: "Alright. Go, Combusken."
Axew charges at Combusken, but it quickly dodges and counters with a Double Kick, sending Axew to the ground. Axew stands up, and Dango calls for Scratch. Combusken catches the move and responds with a brutal Fire Punch. Bango orders Combusken not to let Axew go and keep using Fire Punch. After just two more hits, Axew faints, declaring Bango the winner. Dango runs to Axew, and Bango smirks, calling Axew weak and suggesting he could catch a stronger Pokémon for Dango.
Dango: "Shut up!"
Axew opens its eyes weakly, and Dango tells it that next time they'll beat Bango and his Combusken. Bango laughs and points out that Combusken is only one of his three Pokémon. Dango, determined, vows to be stronger next time. As Bango leaves, he warns Dango that next time, he'll take money from him if he loses. Combusken gives Axew a menacing look before following Bango.
A few moments later, after resting, Dango, now in his trainer clothing, says goodbye to Rita and heads to Route One. Along the way, he faces and catches Hoothoot, Starly, Zigzagoon, Bidoof, and Fletchling. He decides to keep Starly for his team and will send the others to Daisy for research. After a while, Dango reaches Viridian City and finds the gym, but it's locked. A young female trainer is there, cursing after waiting for hours. She's revealed to be Rose Oak, Daisy's daughter and Dango's childhood friend.
Rose: "Oh, you finally arrived! Hey, I thought I got the last Pokémon, why do you have an Axew?"
Dango: "I lucked out because I overslept. I got this badass Mon."
Axew: "Axew! Axew!"
Dango: "You tell her, buddy. Anyway, how many Mons did you catch?"
Rose: "Only a few. I caught 8, but that's not what I care about. How about a friendly battle?"
Dango: "You just read my mind."
Rose sends out Pikachu, and Dango releases Axew. The battle begins as Axew charges, but Pikachu is too quick, landing three Quick Attacks that push Axew back. Pikachu leaps high, crackling with electricity, and Dango sees his opening. As Pikachu descends with a Thunder Shock, Axew dodges and leaps upward to meet it in midair. The two collide, and Axew pins Pikachu to the ground with its tusks.
Dango's mind races—This is it. The new move. With a swift motion, Axew raises its claws and strikes twice in quick succession. The impact of Dual Chop shakes the ground. Pikachu lies still beneath the blows, unable to battle. Rose returns Pikachu and compliments Dango, but she's not about to lose. She sends out Treecko, and Dango tells Axew to rest.
Dango: "A Treecko, like a tree, and your name's Rose. How fitting. Go, Starly!"
Dango throws out Starly, and Rose frowns, worried about the type disadvantage. Starly lunges, aiming for Aerial Ace, but Treecko catches its beak and lands a Leaf Blade, dealing some damage. Treecko backs away, but Starly chases and strikes with Quick Attack. Treecko recovers and retaliates with Bullet Seed, now waiting for orders.
Rose: (Sweating) "Quick Attack, now!"
Dango: "Double Team!"
Treecko moved fast, landing a strike—but it passed right through. It was only an afterimage. The real Starly was behind him and struck with a Wing Attack, flinging dust into Treecko's eyes and blinding him. At Dango's command, Starly soared high into the air, then dove straight down with Aerial Ace. It connected clean, and Treecko was unable to battle. Dango returned Starly, praising him before petting Axew on the head. Rose returned Treecko, frustrated with the loss but promising to grow stronger. Dango extended his hand, which confused her.
Dango: "My money."
Rose: "Yeah, oh look, a Mew."
Dango: "Where?"
Dango turned to look, only to swing back around and catch Rose sprinting off. He sighed, not even bothering to chase her. After stopping at the Pokémon Mart to stock up on Poké Balls and supplies, he headed into Viridian Forest to catch some Pokémon. Along the way, he battled a few trainers, taking their money after each win. Nearing the forest's exit, he came upon a commotion. Two men dressed in black and red uniforms stood with a Beedrill and Kricketune, facing off against a yellow-haired trainer who looked around 18. The boy was covered in deep, bleeding cuts, barely able to stand, his Flareon standing protectively in front of him.
Man 1: "Just give us your Pokémon and you won't have to die."
Trainer: (Struggling) "Never... Flareon, use—"
Man 2: "Kricketune, off with his head!"
Kricketune charged in, blades raised—just as Dango's voice rang out. Axew appeared, catching the blade mid-strike in his mouth. The injured trainer screamed for Axew to get out of the way, and Dango quickly followed up with a command. Beedrill darted in toward the weakened trainer, but with a charged-up Fire Blast, Flareon reduced both Kricketune and Beedrill to ashes. The man didn't flinch at their loss—he just scoffed, more annoyed than upset.
Man 1: "Tch. Not worth it."
They both disappeared into the trees. Dango ran over and helped the injured trainer to his feet, taking him to the Pokémon Center in Viridian City.
Inside, Dango spotted Rose. After handing the trainer off to Nurse Joy, she directed them into a private room. It's revealed that the trainer was actually Glen, the Viridian City Gym Leader. Rose, hearing this, immediately lit up and asked when he'd be ready for a gym battle. Dango called her out for being insensitive, but she just shrugged.
Nurse Joy: "His injuries were close to being fatal. He probably would've slipped into a coma if he wasn't treated. He'll need at least two weeks of full rest."
Dango and Rose: "What?!"
Nurse Joy: "I suggest you head to Pewter City next. Their Gym Leader there specializes in Rock-types."
Rose: "Brock?! That strong dude? He and my mom are tight. Well, Dango, you can waste time here. I'm going to earn myself a Gym badge."
Rose bolted out the centre, forgetting once again to pay Dango. He stayed behind, asking Nurse Joy more questions—mainly about the attackers and what they wanted.
Nurse Joy: "Those scumbags were Team Blitz grunts. Leftovers from the fall of Team Rocket after Champion Red took them down 23 years ago. They've been crawling back from the shadows, more violent than ever. What they do to Pokémon… it's unforgivable. Twisting strong Pokémon into weapons through cruel experiments. Glen's Flareon was targeted because of its power. If I ever see one of those monsters again..."
Later that evening, Dango decided to spend the night at the Center. Before going to bed, he gave Rose a quick call, filling her in on Team Blitz.
The chapter closes with a dual scene—Dango fast asleep, Axew curled on his lap, and Starly snuggled into his hair. Meanwhile, Rose stood alone, staring silently at the massive doors of the Pewter City Gym.
To Be Continued!