In the twilight hours of dawn, the deep blue of the sky softened, surrendering inch by inch to the orangish‑red glow of the rising sun behind Mount Moon. The mountain's jagged silhouette stood like a sentinel against the horizon, its slopes bathed in the first hesitant light of morning. The dew that clung to windowpanes and leaves caught the glow, each drop glimmering briefly before sliding down in slow rivulets, as though the world itself was waking reluctantly from its slumber.
On the upper floor of the Pokémon Centre, a window creaked open. The sound was small, but in the hush of dawn it seemed louder, sharper, echoing faintly against the stillness of the room. The frame trembled, sending the dewdrops racing down the glass in uneven trails. A child leaned against the sill, wrapped tightly in a blanket that cocooned her small body. The cool wind slipped inside, brushing against her skin with a chill that made her shiver. Strands of blonde hair escaped from beneath the blanket, sticking damply to her forehead in the moist air.
For a moment, she considered closing the window, retreating into the warmth of the room. But the smell of fresh dew — earthly, clean, alive — held her in place. It was the scent of renewal, of beginnings, and she breathed it in deeply, letting it fill her lungs. She sat on the edge of the bed, her bare feet brushing against the wooden floor, her thoughts wandering in the quiet. The other bed was empty; Ash had already left for the lobby after his shower, leaving her alone with the faint hum of the old water heater that struggled but still worked.
The silence was not oppressive. It was gentle, a cocoon of its own. She let it wrap around her, listening to the distant sounds of the Centre waking — the faint shuffle of Nurse Joy's steps downstairs, the muted clink of dishes being set out for breakfast, the occasional chirp of a wild bird outside.
Then she felt it: the blanket lifting slightly at her waist, the faint weight of two small bodies slipping inside. She stilled, her breath catching, watching the lumps move beneath the fabric until they settled against her stomach.
Curious, she lifted the hem under her chin. Two familiar faces peeked out — Pikachu and Eevee, their eyes half‑closed, their fur radiating warmth. Pikachu's ears twitched as he burrowed closer, his cheeks faintly sparking in contentment. Eevee pressed a cold nose against her shirt, its breath warm against her skin.
"Chhhaaaa…" Pikachu murmured, curling tighter, his voice soft and drowsy.
"Veeee…" Eevee added, the sound more like a sigh than a call, its body relaxing against her.
The two balls of fluff wriggled, tugging at the blanket with their paws to cover themselves again. Their eyes met hers, wide and expectant, asking silently for permission to stay.
She giggled quietly, the sound muffled by the wool. With gentle hands, she pulled the fabric tighter around them, tucking them in to share the warmth. The blanket smelled faintly of soap and Ash's detergent, a reminder of the boy who had left only minutes ago. She let her fingers linger against Pikachu's fur, feeling the steady rhythm of his breathing, the way his warmth seeped into her. Eevee's tail flicked once, then stilled, its body melting into hers.
The three of them sat together in silence, dawn light spilling across the room in soft, golden waves. Outside, the world woke slowly — the rustle of leaves stirred by the wind, the distant cries of morning birds, the faint hum of life returning to the mountain. Inside, everything felt still and tender, suspended in a fragile moment that seemed to stretch endlessly.
Her gaze drifted to the empty half of the bed — warm where he had been moments ago, the sheets faintly rumpled. The absence was sharp, though not painful. It was more like a question lingering in the air. What was Ash doing now, alone in the lobby? Was he pacing, lost in thought the way he often was? Or perhaps speaking with Nurse Joy, his voice low and serious, carrying the weight of responsibility he never seemed to put down?
She hugged the blanket tighter, her fingers brushing against Eevee's soft fur. The thought of him alone, carrying burdens she couldn't see, made her chest ache faintly. She wanted to ask, to know, but words always felt too heavy when she tried to speak.
The sun climbed higher, its light catching on the edges of her hair, turning the damp strands into threads of gold. The warmth spread slowly across the room, chasing away the chill of dawn. Pikachu shifted, pressing closer, his tail curling against her side. Eevee's ears twitched once, then stilled, its body completely relaxed.
Yellow closed her eyes briefly, listening to the soft sounds of their breathing. She let herself imagine Ash returning soon, his footsteps on the stairs, his familiar presence filling the room again. For now, she would wait, wrapped in the blanket, sharing the quiet dawn with the two companions who had chosen her warmth as their refuge.
And in that fragile cocoon of silence, with the world outside waking and the room bathed in golden light, she felt something she hadn't in days — a fleeting, fragile sense of peace.
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"What do you mean that cannot be arranged?!"
"Sorry, can't do that. Also, do not shout. What will happen if people hear you this early in the morning?"
Professor Oak's tone was calm, but his appearance betrayed the strain of his sleepless nights. He looked sharp only in the way an old man in a nightgown, slippers, and a tasselled cap could — clutching a steaming mug of coffee, his eyes shadowed by short sleep.
Outside, joggers and insomniacs moved through the dawn. Inside, a boy and an old man argued over something that seemed far too important to be discussed in pyjamas.
"There's almost nobody here right now, Professor," Ash pressed. "Didn't you say you made the Pokédex? Why can't you just make another?"
Oak sipped his coffee, then sighed. "I invented them, that's why I cannot make them."
Ash blinked. "What does that even mean? You're making no sense!"
Oak rubbed his temple, his voice softening. "Hmm… Guess I never actually explained that, huh? As you know, I can make the Pokédex — I am one of its inventors. But the materials needed are rare, difficult to assemble. Only a few are made, then distributed among select trainers we trust to help us document Pokémon."
Ash frowned. "Wait. If there are only a few Pokédexes, then why are there so many trainers?"
"A good question," Oak said, nodding. "Most trainers do not have them. They only have Trainer ID cards, which identify them as licensed trainers."
Ash leaned forward, frustration bubbling. "Okay… so why would trainers like me help you document Pokémon? I mean, I'm using the Pokédex, right? Isn't that enough? How am I supposed to do anything else?"
Oak chuckled sheepishly. "Ah, that. I knew I was forgetting something important that day…" He rubbed his head with the hand still holding the mug of coffee.
"Prof—"
Too late.
The steaming liquid tipped, pouring down his face like a caffeinated waterfall from hell.
"AHHHHH! Hot, hot, hot!" Oak screamed, stumbling backwards. The papers he had been holding fluttered to the floor, instantly ruined.
Ash froze, dumbfounded, watching through the video screen as chaos unfolded. A Charizard — where had it even come from? — grabbed a fire extinguisher and blasted foam across the professor. Alakazam appeared next, levitating a pail of water and dumping it over Oak's head. Oak sputtered, moaning in pain, clutching at the soggy papers.
"My paperrrrsss…" he wailed, voice breaking.
Somehow, after several minutes of frantic dousing and spluttering, Oak staggered away, dripping and muttering. Ash opened his mouth to call after him, but the professor had already vanished off‑screen.
It took time, but Oak eventually returned, dressed properly now in his lab coat and slacks. His hair was combed, his glasses polished, his demeanour restored to something resembling professionalism. He sat down as though nothing had happened.
"Are you—" Ash began, concern in his voice.
"Now, where were we?" Oak cut him off briskly, his tone clipped, his posture stiff. He spoke as though the scalding coffee incident had never occurred. Behind him, Charizard and Alakazam exchanged side‑eyes, shook their heads, and left the room.
Ash blinked. Huh?
Oak cleared his throat. "Ah, yes, the Pokédexes also use software developed with the help of one of my students and a colleague. Pokédex units are highly complex. Making them takes time, precision, and resources we cannot spare. We cannot simply give them away to anyone. Trainers like you, who pass our exams, become our representatives in the world. And because there is always a chance a Pokédex might be stolen for nefarious purposes, each unit has deactivation codes only professors like me know. With those, we can fry the device from within or lock it permanently, making it useless. You understand?"
Ash swallowed, nodding. "Y‑yeah, I get it. But… why do I need to write information in it?"
Oak leaned back, folding his hands. "Because the Pokédexes used until a few years ago were largely handwritten works by researchers. Many were influenced by local folklore, which we do not want. Most of the knowledge trainers rely on comes from outdated libraries. You remember how I gave you your Pokédex a few weeks ago?"
Ash nodded. "Yes, I do. What about it?"
"You also remember I didn't have enough of them?" Oak pressed.
Ash nodded again.
"Well, that is because there weren't any extras."
Ash's eyes widened. "What?!"
Oak's tone was calm, almost casual. "Mmm hmm. There weren't any spare Pokédexes at all."
Ash leaned forward, incredulous. "Then what did you give me?!"
Oak smiled faintly. "What you received is also a Pokédex — specifically, the prototype version."
"Proto‑what?"
"A prototype," Oak explained patiently. "The original version of the device. The one you have is an upgraded version of the earliest models. Not quite a prototype anymore, but close enough."
Ash sat back, stunned. The weight of the device in his pocket suddenly felt heavier, more fragile, more important.
"You see that the one I gave you was a device that I had been tinkering with for some years to make the prototype of the PokéDexes that were given to the others."
"Wait," Ash furrowed his brows, "...so that means their PokéDexes are better than mine!"
"Fortunately, or unfortunately, that is true," Professor Oak replied.
"Fortunately?"
"What you received is technically a Pokédex — specifically, an upgraded prototype I had been refining for years. The others received the standardised models. Yours… does some things theirs cannot. And vice versa. That is why you were able to use the device that you found in the Viridian Pokémon Centre, and that would not have worked with the others. Don't worry, your Pokédex covers the basics. But because it lacks the standardised hardware, you may find it... temperamental. It might glitch on simple tasks, or it might pick up data the new models miss completely."
"Will the upgrade that you promised to give me make my PokéDex better?!"
Ash saw Professor Oak as he thought for a bit and grimaced. Uh oh.
"Eehh... I don't know how to say it to you, but I will be blunt. Now that I think about it clearly, it won't be much better or as good as them."
"Now what..." Ash muttered despondently.
Professor Oak, seeing him like that, thought about something. He did not like giving false hope, but something was better than nothing.
"Ash."
"Yeah?" Ash looked down in spirits when he weakly answered the professor.
"There might be a way for you to get a better one."
"Really?!" Ash now gave his full attention to Professor Oak.
"As I won't be able to make a new one right now and you will not come back to Pallet Town right now, why don't you go visit a friend of mine called Bill in the Cerulean Cape, as you are already going to Cerulean City right now?"
"Thanks, Professor! Now, about the request for which I had called you."
"You mean getting a PokéDex for someone?"
"Mmm hmm."
"Well, you could tell them to get an official Trainer ID instead of the PokéDex, but it will be hard, not impossible, to get one, as it has not even been a month since the season for the league started. Though that will take some money..." Ash winced a bit at that, "...though that seems to be a bit of concern, it would seem. Why don't you take your friend to Bill? As long as they pass his test, he should be able to provide the Trainer ID, but I will not promise about giving the PokéDex."
"Why can't you provide one?"
"I just cannot send a Trainer ID card to just anyone. I don't even know who or how good they will be at treating their Pokémon. I only have your recommendation, and you have known them for how long? At best, a few weeks. That is not just anything I can do about it, until I get a feel for their character."
Closing his eyes, Oak took a breath before exhaling. "Is your friend with you?"
"Mmm hmm"
"Can you call them for me, then? I would like to talk with them to ascertain if they are worthy of getting the Trainer ID at least."
"Uhh... about that..."
"What is it?"
"Cannot speak?"
"Why?"
Professor Oak looked on as Ash fidgeted on the spot.
"Well?"
"Kinda... mute?"
Oak paused, his hand freezing halfway to his mug. "Mute? That complicates things. Command latency, verbal cues... they will be at a severe disadvantage." He sighed, rubbing his temples. "I assume, given the situation, they have their parents with them?"
Ash winced at that.
"What now?"
Ash looked uncomfortable as he shook his head.
Oh. Oh.Oohh.
This time, the professor grimaced. Well, that was unfortunate. No matter how many times he had seen them and the other way around all those years ago, it was still disheartening to see them.
Oak's face tightened for a beat — old regrets he didn't voice here. He obliged himself to set them aside; there were more practical problems now.
Shaking himself a bit, the professor removed himself from his musings as he decided to help the child as much as he could, no matter how much his hands were tied in this, to make up for his sins at least. The biggest problem will be the money, so what should be done then?
Give a free waiver? That would seem a bit suspicious to the officials.
What now? Well, there was the other way to earn money for a trainer, wasn't there? What about that? Hmm, that would work, and that would help Ash grow up, too, as long as his head did not grow too big and did something reckless or have bad luck.
Nobody could have that amount of bad luck, right?
"Ash."
Hearing the professor call his name, Ash turned to look at him. "Yes, Professor?"
"I think the best choice now for both of you would be to go to the Cerulean Cape to meet Bill to resolve your issues."
"What about the Trainer ID then?"
"Well, you could also apply for it at a Pokémon Centre like the one you are at now-"
"Really?!"
"...but the problem with that is it will require money to do it, which I think you just cannot spend all of it."
Ash winced at that as the professor continued, "Even if you did provide it, it will take time for the ID to be issued and could take at least weeks, if not months, for that to come."
"Why would it take so long?"
"Bureaucracy's slow and even if I do not want to admit it, corrupt. The fastest way to get one is from an influential professor or through bribery. Lots of it, though, that will only guarantee that the ID will come out a little bit faster than the previous one. And before you ask, no, do not try to do it and stay away from government officials, especially the politicians, at all costs until you actually need it. Nothing good will come out of their greed."
"They can't be that bad..."
Ash didn't notice, but Professor Oak's eyes had hardened a bit as if remembering something that caused him fury, before muttering something that could not be caught by the listener's ear.
"I sure hope that you do not come across any."
"Did you say anything, Professor?"
Relaxing a bit, the professor continued, "Well, as you would be travelling with them for a bit, you must know that the cost of taking care of you both and your Pokémon is going to be more. Have you thought of any way to get additional funds beyond the ones you get from defeating your opponents?"
"Eh?! Huh?!"
"You didn't think about that, did you?" Professor Oak deadpanned.
"Won't the money I earn from them be enough to cover the travel expenses and feed us and the Pokémon as long as I keep in mind the amount I am spending?"
Snorting at that, the professor answered his protege, "I am pleasantly surprised that you thought about it at all. Let me ask you this- How much more have you spent since you met your friend to help them than what would have normally required?"
Ash opened his mouth and raised a finger to respond, but no words came out of his mouth as he actually thought about it. After that, he reluctantly put down his finger while looking away.
"Thought so."
"What should I do then, Professor?"
"Tell you what, I am impressed that you are willing to go this far for somebody whom you have just met, so I will let you in on a bit of a secret, even if that is not a secret. There is another, extra method for trainers to get money legally."
Ash was now paying more attention to the Professor.
Professor Oak leaned back in his chair, the faint creak of the wood filling the silence. He set his coffee cup aside, its steam curling upward, dissipating into the morning air. His gaze softened, but his voice carried the weight of years.
"Ash," he said slowly, deliberately, "most trainers think of battles as their only source of income. Prize money, badges, and the occasional sponsorship if they're lucky. But that is not enough. Not for you, not for your friend, not for the Pokémon you care for."
Ash swallowed, his throat dry. He thought of Yellow, of her quiet smile, of the way she clung to him when she was scared. He thought of Pikachu, Eevee, Spearow, Pidgeotto, Doduo, and Weedle — all of them depending on him. The weight pressed heavily on his shoulders.
Oak continued, his tone steady. "There is another way. A legal way. One that has existed for years, though most young trainers never think to ask. It is not glamorous, but it is honest. And it will keep you moving forward."
Ash leaned forward, his hands gripping the edge of the table. "What is it?"
Oak's eyes narrowed slightly, though not unkindly. "I will not explain it myself. Not here. But Nurse Joy will. She knows the system better than anyone. She will tell you what you need to know if you ask her the right questions."
Ash blinked, confused. "The right words?"
Oak nodded. "Yes. A phrase. A request. Trainers who are ready to shoulder more responsibility, who understand that the journey is not just about glory, but survival, ask her this. And she will explain."
The silence stretched. Ash's heart thudded in his chest. He felt the weight of the moment, the gravity of Oak's tone.
"What… what do I say?" he asked finally, his voice small.
Oak leaned forward, his eyes locking onto Ash's. "You ask her about Trainer Commissions."
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It had been quite some time since the call ended when Nurse Joy entered the lobby to start her day. Did she see Ash sitting at a video phone booth? Looking at the blank screen, she thought that he might have just finished talking with the person, whoever they were at this time. She saw him perk up a bit when the wooden floor creaked a bit.
"Ah, Nurse Joy! Good morning!" She blinked a bit as he came to her.
"Good morning to you as well. Do you need something?" The next words were unexpected and kind of shocked her a bit.
"Yeah, I want to do a Trainer Commission."
Blinking a few times and thinking if she was hearing correctly, she looked at him before asking, "Can you repeat that?"
"I would like to do a Trainer Commission!"
"Where did you learn about that from?"
"Professor Oak told me to ask about them."
Nurse Joy's expression shifted. The warmth vanished, replaced by a sharp, appraising professional look. She glanced at the screen behind him, then back at his face.
"I see," she said, her voice dropping to a murmur. "Follow me to the back room. We don't discuss Commissions in the lobby."
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AN: Hello people, I am back from my exams (somewhat), and I had lost a bit of motivation and getting back to the groove to make it to my standards took some time, but the chapter length suffered a bit, so I hope that you are not mad about it. I wanted to go to Mount Moon, but unreasonable college demands even during the break...
What are your thoughts? Is there any place to improve that I missed? What about the worldbuilding? Do comment!