Pokémon: A CHYOA Story

Today you begin your journey to become an elite Pokemon Trainer. Dressed up in your graduation uniform with the rest of your peers at the Pallet Town Academy Graduation Ceremony, you are by far the most composed among the sea of young bodies.

Many students worked hard to get accepted into the Academy, hopeful and eager for a chance to learn from Professor Samuel Oak in his hometown. While every region had its own “Pokemon Professor” of noteworthy reputation, Oak remained by and large the expert among his colleagues.

While friendly and easy going, he was also notoriously picky when he went looking for protégés. It wasn't like he chose a new one very often, and it was anyone's guess as to what criteria he based his choices on.

But as luck would have it, after more than a decade since his last apprentice had moved on, Professor Oak had chosen not one, but three students to become his apprentices.

He had announced that the chosen individuals would be named during the Graduation Ceremony, and naturally the rumor mill was ablaze. Everyone present hoped, or assumed, that today they would hear their name leave Oak's lips as he announced the identities of his new interns.

Perhaps it was a bit surreal then, that the Ceremony was indoors in a large, blank white room devoid of any shapes or features. Luckily it was well illuminated, but there wasn't much to see besides the graduating students all dressed up in a white version of their normal school uniform. All the staff and parents were absent, apparently watching the even unfold via well hidden cameras placed in the expansive sea of white tile as far as you could perceive.

And even though you had focused most of your attention on the stage in front of you and the rest of the students, you were spooked a bit as the figure of Professor Oak appeared to somehow fade into existence in the perfect position to address everyone present. Between your reaction and the reactions of other students who noticed the bizarre phenomenon, the entire group of graduates quickly notice the sudden appearance of the Pokemon Professor and began quieting down shortly after.

When the room became nearly deafening in it's silence, Oak began to speak.

“Hello, graduates! And welcome to your first true step into the world of Pokemon!”

A quick round of applause and joyful hollers began to echo around you until Oak begins to speak again.

“For anyone who remains unaware, I am Samuel Oak, the Pokemon Professor of Kanto. I study Pokemon throughout the world. Including ones such as this fellow!”

With a small flourish to his throw, the Professor tosses a Pokeball, which opens midair and a beam of unstable white light floods to the ground and forms into the shape of a 4-legged creature before the glow fades away, revealing a purple mammalian creature with large ears, a horn on its head, and a small row of spines along its back.

For many students, this is their first time seeing a Nidorino in person.

“We share this planet with many other creatures like our friend, Nidorino. We live together and work along side them in many ways, including as pets and companions, or as partners in battle.”

Without looking away from the body of students he is addressing, Oak takes the Pokeball that had returned to his hand to recall Nidorino back inside with a beam of red light.

“Today, you all will begin to make your own mark in the work, using what you've learned here to create your own bonds with the Pokemon and people around you. Your teachers and parents are already proud of you, as am I.”

Many of the students begin cheering loudly as Oak watches on smiling. Before the celebration gets to be too loud or long, however, Oak again quiets everyone in short order to resume speaking.

“From here on out, your futures are your own to decide, and the paths ahead are your own to follow. In addition to congratulating all of you for the hard work you've put in until now, I am also here to extend an invitation to three of you to further your education under my wing.”

That got many of the students to cheer even louder as their excitement rose. Many today had high hopes to be one of Oak's chosen students.

“Yes, it's been an exciting year. Try as I could, it was impossible for me to narrow my choice down to one, but I hope that I will prove capable of teaching three students at once. Assuming that all of them accept my offer.”

This earns a well-meaning laugh from some of the individuals present. Who would turn down a chance to learn from Professor Oak of all people, after all?

“The first person I have selected to offer my guidance to is...”