Pokemon: The Gameboy Effect

Wow, that Shiny Makuhita is amazing!"

"Yeah, but did you see the speed it showed just now? Is that even possible for a Makuhita?"

"Maybe that's what makes Shiny Makuhita special?"

The battle between John and Sam had just ended, but the surrounding crowd was only getting started.

Everyone was buzzing about Makuhita's impressive speed, the unique allure of a Shiny Pokemon, and of course, Sam's stunned expression after the defeat. The match was the talk of the campus, and no doubt it would make waves online later.

But John wasn't sticking around to hear it. After the match, he quickly hopped on his Mach bike, eager to avoid the crowds who might want pictures with his Shiny Makuhita—and, naturally, to avoid Grace, who was probably already plotting her pursuit.

"Hey! Where are you rushing off to?" Grace called out, a bit confused as John zoomed away.

"I've got some errands to run outside the school," John called back, his voice fading as he sped off.

"Well, let me know when you're back. I haven't seen that litle cutie for days, and I miss her!" Grace shouted after him.

"Okay, I'll let you know!" John replied with a wave, already speeding through the gates.

As he approached the sea-crossing bridge, something caught his eye—a familiar sight that made him pause.

It was a Delibird, perched on the railing, with a Togepi happily sitting on its head. The pair looked strangely familiar.

"Hey, I know you two!" John muttered to himself. He remembered them as the delivery duo who had brought him his favorite potato and beef brisket rice back in Aethermere City.

Togepi waved its tiny hand at John with a grin.

John smiled, stopping his bike and reaching into his pocket for some Pokeblocks—the usual treat for Togepi.

"Togepi!" The little Pokemon eagerly grabbed the Pokeblock, munching happily. But when Delibird saw John, its eyes welled up with tears, and it grabbed his arm, sniffling uncontrollably.

"Uh... what's going on?" John blinked in confusion. He didn't speak Pokemon, after all, so he wasn't sure what had Delibird so upset.

After a moment of awkward silence, John quietly handed Delibird a Pokeblock. The moment the scent hit, Delibird immediately stopped crying, grabbed the treat, and started munching it down.

It was clear the Pokemon was hungry.

"You guys... get lost or something?" John asked, raising an eyebrow. It was a long way from Aethermere City to Dragoncrest—over an hour by train.

Togepi looked down, its little face hiding behind Delibird, clearly unsure how to explain the situation.

Delibird scratched its head, a little embarrassed, then nodded.

"You got lost delivering food?" John asked, his eyes widening.

Delibird nodded again and, after some fumbling, pulled a glowing ball from its tiny white bag. It hesitated, shoved it back in, and instead handed John a cold box of beef brisket rice. The food had clearly traveled a long way.

"Okay, hold on," John said. "Let me call your owner and let them know where you are." He pulled out his phone and found the takeaway number on the app. "Hey, is this Bob's Potato and Beef Brisket Rice from Aethermere City? One of your delivery Pokemon got lost and ended up in Dragoncrest City."

"Takeaway? We don't have delivery Pokemon working for us," the voice on the other end replied, sounding confused. "We handle all the deliveries ourselves. Are you sure you've got the right number?"

John blinked. "Wait, no delivery Pokemon?"

After a pause, the clerk spoke again. "Oh! You mean Delibird? That's a wild Pokemon. We saw it hanging around and felt bad for it, so we let it help with deliveries. It didn't come back after its last drop-off, and our boss was worried. We didn't expect it to end up in Dragoncrest City."

John chuckled. "I thought Delibird was your Pokemon. So... it's a wild Pokemon?"

"Yeah, that's right. If you see it, tell it to come back. It hasn't even picked up its paycheck yet!"

John shook his head, then looked over at Delibird, who had a sheepish expression. "Well, looks like you two got a bit lost. So what now?"

Delibird shrugged, looking just as uncertain as before. Togepi, perched happily on its head, stared out at the city, seemingly lost in thought.

"Would you like to come with me?" John asked, considering his options. "I can help you find something to do around here. Maybe even a delivery job. There are plenty of food delivery places in town that need help. And... I can even buy you lunch."

Delibird thought for a long moment, glancing at Togepi and then back at his surrounding, clearly intrigued by the idea of starting fresh in a new city. After a pause, it nodded slowly.

"Alright, I'll find something for you. But first, let's go grab a bite." John smiled and, without waiting for a response, led the two Pokemon toward a nearby café.

"I'll help you out," John said with a grin, "but I need to do some errands first okay?"

The trio set off, ready for a new adventure.