Chapter 15

1. Chapter 15 – Professor Oak
James and I arrived at the Pokémon Centre which we seemed to live in and he walked up to a vacant
video phone. He pushed a coin into the slot and dialled the number while I was looking at the screen
over his shoulder.
“I wonder whose number it is.” I said, not really directing it at anyone.
It was then that the screen flickered into life and a little LED went from red to green above the screen
telling us we were connected. Sat behind the screen was an elderly man with grey hair and a white lab
coat.
“Hi there youngsters,” He said rather cheerfully, “I’m Professor Oak; I see you’re phoning from Violet
City. Was it that kind old monk Sigmund who gave you my number?”
James and I exchanged a glance when he called the monk ‘kind’. Aipom was sat on my head watching
the professor.
“Hi, I’m James, this is my friend Edd and that’s his Aipom,” James replied, I gave a small wave when I
was introduced. “The monk, Sigmund, said something was strange with my Caterpie.”
“Hmm, Caterpie.” Oak muttered.
“You see, Sigmund used Edd’s Pokédex to find out Caterpie’s level after it beat his Bellsprout and it
told us that Caterpie is level 12. But Caterpie is meant-“
“To evolve at level 7 into Metapod and then into Butterfree at level 10!” Oak finished. “This is very
interesting. I’ve been doing some research into Pokémon evolution for a while now.” He stroked his
chin while he spoke, deep in thought. “Would I perhaps be able to do some research on Caterpie? We
will take incredibly good care of it” He saw James face drop and quickly added “Of course, we would
lend you a Pokémon to replace him while we have your Pokémon.”
James released Caterpie from its Pokéball and he told him what Oak wanted to do. He seemed willing
to do it, proud of all the attention it was getting. “Ok then” James said to Oak reluctantly. “What
Pokémon will you be sending me?”
“Well, what would you like?”
“I dunno”
“How about I surprise you?”
“Yeah sure” James seemed very reluctant about the whole thing but Caterpie wanted to do it so he
wasn’t going to stop him.

2. “Excellent!” Oak exclaimed. He walked out of sight for a few minutes and we began to wonder if he
was going to come back. He did. “Ok then, if you place Caterpie’s Pokéball in the pod to your left we
can trade.” Oak placed a Pokéball somewhere on the right of the screen while James said goodbye to
Caterpie and quickly returned it to its Pokéball which he placed in a small pod next to the screen.
“Ready”
“Ok then,” Oak pressed a few buttons on his side, “The button under the pod should be flashing.”
James didn’t reply, he was just looking at Caterpies Pokéball. “Yes, it is” I cut in.
“Ok, just give that a push”
James was still frozen so I stepped forward and pressed the button before James had a chance to stop
me. The Pokéball suddenly went white and James lunged for it, changing his mind about the trade. But
he was too late. The ball was gone. For a couple of seconds the pod was empty and then a new
Pokéball appeared but James was gone. He had run off out of the Pokémon Centre. I grabbed the new
Pokéball, thanked the Professor, hung up and ran after him. Just as I started to run Aipom screamed
and waved his arms in front of my face. I came to a abrupt halt and lifted Aipom off my head.
“What?”
Aipom just waved his hands and made a cross shape with his arms. He thought it was better if James
was left alone. I thought that would be for the best so turned and walked over to a group of chairs
with a table in the middle. I decided to plan out where to go next now that we were finally finished in
Violet City, we would be leaving the next morning. I also got my ‘Guide to Gyms’ book out as well. The
next gym I would be challenging would be the one in Azalea town against Bugsy, a Bug type Gym
Leader. That was perfect because that’s where James lived and was heading. We would need to head
south out of Violet City, down the long route of Route 32 and then through Union Cave which I knew
nothing about. Once we got out of the cave, Azalea town would be a very short walk away.
That was when James joined me again, it was clear that he had been crying. I never knew he had
gotten so attached to Caterpie. He must have been spending time with it when I wasn’t around like
when I got lost in the woods with Aipom. I lifted the Pokéball off the table and handed it to James.
“Don’t you want to see what’s in it?”
This cheered James up; it seemed he had forgotten all about the new Pokémon he had gotten to
replace his Caterpie. He took the Pokéball out of my hand and pressed the button on the front. There
was a burst of the usual white light and James’ new Pokémon appeared.
“Wow!” James and I said at the same time. I took my Pokédex out and held it in front of the new
Pokémon.
“Trapinch, the Ant Pit Pokémon. It makes a conical pit in desert sand and lies in wait at the bottom for

3. prey to come tumbling down.” The robotic voice said.
“That seems like a pretty rare Pokémon!” I exclaimed, looking at the little orange Pokémon. Its head
was very over proportionate to its body with tiny eyes and a wide mouth.
“Pinch!” It cried with a low voice. The new Pokémon had taken an immediately liking to James who
had cheered up significantly. I went through the planned route to James who didn’t seem to be
listening; he was playing with his new Trapinch. James would roll a ball across the floor of the
Pokémon Centre and Trapinch would run over, pick it up in its mouth and run back to James with it. I
assumed James would be fine with the idea and decided to have an early night and went to bed along
with Aipom.