Derrick slid into Professor Oak's laboratory, stopping to watch the static figures that represented his lab assistants cross the room one step at a time. It was rather odd to be in this sort of world without the accompaniment of Red. Without him nothing in the world seemed real at all. In fact, it wasn't - which meant that there might be a possibility he could get his hands on the remaining Pokemon that sat idle on Professor Oak's little table. He approached it quietly, slightly creeped out by the professor's blank expression as it faced straight forward. He stared cautiously at the man as his hand reached out to clasp around the capsule. Nothing happened. He raised the Pokeball off the desk and held it close to his chest. Nothing happened. He stared at it, suppressing a moment of giddiness at being able to hold a real Pokeball in his hands. Still nothing happened.
"Well, that was easy," he muttered to himself, tossing the sphere into the air casually as he exited the lab and made his way back out into Pallet Town. He wound back the ball and threw it toward the ground with a commanding "Bulbasaur, I choose you!" As he did, a flash of light emitted from the ball and the red-eyed Pokemon materialize before him. He bit his knuckle with excitement, glad that he was the only one around to notice how silly he acted. Bulbasaur wasn't his first choice as a starter Pokemon, of course, since he had chosen the Charmander for Red, but any Pokemon in his possession right now would help.
"Alright, Bulbasaur," Derrick barked to the creature, almost jumping in surprise as it perked up a nubby ear to acknowledge him. He would have to get used to this Pokemon actually responding to him like this. He cleared his throat. "Alright, Bulbasaur, I need to catch a Pokemon, and I need your help to do it. We'll need to go onto Route 1 to catch a Pidgey so I can teach it this Fly HM. Think you can give me a hand?" The Pokemon bleated in response, waiting for his new trainer to lead the way. Derrick almost bounced through Pallet Town with his Pokemon. It had been a boyhood dream of his to one day own a Pokemon, and now was his chance!
Minutes passed before Derrick and his Bulbasaur reached Route 1. Before them stood frayed, tall grass. Derrick had grown used to seeing this looming landscape as he and Red traveled, but Bulbasaur shifted nervously at his side. His trainer looked down at him, nudging his gently with the side of his shoe. "Hey, don't worry," he reassured the creature before heading into the thick brush. "The Pokemon here are weak compared to you. You can take them on easily!" Gradually Derrick heard the soft rustle in the grass behind him of his Pokemon following. They exited one patch of grass and soon found themselves in another, until suddenly, a Pidgey caught the boy's glance. He gestured behind him for his Bulbasaur, pointing at the wild Pokemon. "There's a Pidgey," he said. "Now, go after him! Use Tackle!" The Bulbasaur scrapped a foot against the ground before charging. The Pidgey turned to see Bulbasaur heading straight for him a moment too late. The two Pokemon collided, Bulbasaur's momentum throwing the Pidgey back and limply onto its side. Derrick's jaw dropped a bit.
"Oh, no!" he moaned, scrambling up to the wild Pokemon and examining it. "You hit it too hard and made it faint. I mean...I don't have a Pokeball to have thrown at it even if you didn't make it faint, but..." Derrick faltered as his Pokemon nuzzled its cheek against his leg, giving him an apologetic look. "Oh, you have it all wrong, buddy," Derrick started over. "It's good to make Pokemon faint. But I want to catch one of these." He glanced back over to the still Pidgey before an idea struck. He picked the body up, feeling creeped out by his impulse, even if the Pokemon was 'fainted,' and continued to make his way north toward Viridian City. His Bulbasaur followed, growling in confusion softly behind him. "Don't worry, Bulbasaur," he said, trying not to look at the Pidgey in his arms. "I'll be catching this one. I just hope I can make him fly." Bulbasaur's rumbling continued until they reached the City limit in Viridian. He headed straight for the PokeMart, Bulbasaur close behind him. When they reached the entrance, Derrick let the limp Pidgey rest on the ground before he turned to the grass Pokemon.
"Can I get you to look after this guy for just a bit? If he wakes up or does anything weird, just tackle him again. I won't be in the PokeMart but for a minute." The Bulbasaur gave him an odd look before nodding. Derrick then entered the store where he found a few inanimate characters loitering against shelves and looking around. If Professor Oak hadn't noticed him do anything to his lab when he took Bulbasaur, perhaps...
He examined the store for a moment, finding many of the shelves empty. It figured, since Red technically selected everything he needed from the screen on Derrick's SP. Finally he saw a short row of Pokeballs behind the counter. Casually he hopped over the counter, selected two, just in case one didn't work, and slid them into his pocket before exiting the store as though nothing had happened. His Bulbasaur had begun poking at the fainted Pidgey with his foot when he arrived outside. The Pokemon shifted backward as Derrick approached the body, tossing his Pokeball at it. It opened and enveloped the Pidgey, shutting closed with a flash of light and shaking violently for a few moments before it stopped. It took little effort, since the Pidgey was fainted.
"Wow...I'm breaking all the rules today," he said to himself, crouching to pick up the Pokeball that now held his second Pokemon. After examining the Pokeball for a moment and basking in how proud he felt to have actually caught a (fainted) Pokemon all by himself, he stood, smiling at Bulbasaur. "Alright...let's go heal you both up, even though you don't really need any healing..." Nonetheless, Bulbasaur chirped excitedly, following his trainer toward the Pokemon Center.
"C'mere, Bulbasaur," Derrick called, his Pokemon turning at hearing his name and crossing the floor of the Pokemon Center, hopping up onto the small sofa that always sat near Nurse Joy in the building. "Ready to see your new companion?" He asked, winding back his hand, Pokeball at the ready. He released it with a grunt, a flash of light blinding the Center before a rejuvenated Pidgey emerged from the Pokeball. It hovered a few inches from the ground, looking about in confusion. "Hello, Pidgey," Derrick called out to the Pokemon, watching it turn its attention toward his new trainer. It almost had a reluctant look on its face. "I know, I know," Derrick grumbled softly. "But I healed you! You should feel much better now. I just needed to catch a Pokemon of your species. Sorry for taking your fainted body and capturing you that way...it was kind of unfair." Pidgey squawked in agreement, fluttering toward his trainer but taking refuge atop Bulbasaur's bulb. "Well...would you at least take this HM so that you can learn how to carry me? I need to find Red, and quick!" The Pidgey hopped off the bulb and puffed out its feathery chest menacingly, giving him a distancing look. It spread its wings as Derrick tried to stand and approach it, flapping them rapidly and forming a gust inside the Center. Derrick shielded his face, giving the Pidgey just enough time to take flight, gliding out the Pokemon Center and into the City sky.