Pokemon: The Gameboy Effect

The horn sounded loud and clear, its deep, resonant echo filling the air. Almost instantly, a series of bubbles surfaced in the middle of the lake, followed by the emergence of a massive head. Two long tentacles, swaying like tendrils in the breeze, rose from the water. The creature's yellow body was round and rotund, and its wings—far too large for its hefty frame—looked almost comical, yet somehow endearing.

This was a Dragonite. But not just any Dragonite. This one was twice the size of an ordinary Dragonite. "Big" didn't even begin to describe it.

The enormous Dragonite surfaced fully and, with a slow but steady glide, made its way toward the shore, where John stood waiting.

"Huh?" John muttered to himself, eyeing the Dragonite as it floated gracefully to land. "Shouldn't this be one of the Dragon Kings?"

But as he looked closer, it was clear that this wasn't a Dragon King. It was too big—too soft-looking, too much of a gentle giant.

As he stood there, looking over the lake, more dragon-type Pokemon began to appear. Dragonites, Salamence, Hydreigon, and Altaria—each one arriving with its own entourage.

John wasn't just surrounded by Dragonites; all around him were dragon-type Pokemon of every kind.

To his left, a towering Garchomp loomed over the landscape, easily double the size of a normal one. At its feet, three Gibles trailed behind, and a whole group of other dragons followed: Haxorus, Flygon, Druddigon, and Kommo-o.

To the right, a massive Goodra stood proudly beside its clan, joined by members of Duraludon and Noivern.

"So the Dragon Kings of the Dragon Nest are Dragonite, Garchomp, and Goodra?" John murmured to himself. He couldn't help but marvel at their sheer size and power.

The three Dragon Kings—each a giant among giants—circled around John, their eyes fixed on him. And then, in unison, they tilted their heads back and roared.

"ROAR~"

"CRACK!"

"GRRR~"

At that moment, several young dragon Pokemon were tossed from the group by their parents—some landing gracefully, others tumbling through the air. But not all of them had been chosen. The three Dragon Kings inspected the little ones and carefully selected a few to present to John.

Within moments, he found himself surrounded by a wide array of dragon-type Pokemon—three Dratinis, one Bagon, two Gibles, three Axews, and, to his surprise, seven Goomy. Each one stared up at him with wide eyes, and one of the Goomy even had a tiny raincloud floating above its head, gently sprinkling raindrops onto the ground.

It seemed clear now: the Dragon Kings were giving him a choice. Over twenty dragon-type Pokemon were available for him to select from.

Wasn't this supposed to be a personal selection? John had come here thinking that the Dragon Kings would choose a Pokemon suited to him, but now, he wasn't so sure. Had he just become a pawn in their game?

Daisy, standing by his side, spoke up in amazement.

"Are you really this charismatic? There are so many Pokemon here that seem to match you."

John didn't know whether to laugh or sigh. When Daisy had chosen her dragon Pokemon, the three Dragon Kings had only offered her three options, two of which were from the same species. But now, it seemed like he was drowning in options.

"I guess I'm just lucky," John said, trying to make light of it, though he couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the choices.

His eyes roamed over the selection, settling on the Pokemon he had hoped to find: Bagon, Gible, and Dratini. He had always dreamed of raising one of these dragon-types, but now the question was, which one would he choose?

He studied them all carefully—looking at their sizes, their eyes, their energy.

Then, out of nowhere, he felt a strange tug at his backpack.

Turning around, he was met by the sight of a Gible, its mouth wide open, chomping at the strap of his bag with all the enthusiasm of a hungry child."

Before John could respond, the massive Garchomp Dragon King stepped forward, its giant claws reaching down to lift the Gible by the back of its neck. The little Pokemon dangled helplessly in the air, like a kitten being carried by its mother.

John blinked in surprise. The Gible had been taken away, then gently placed back down with its siblings at Garchomp's feet. It seemed a little disappointed but no less determined.

"That's one of Garchomp's kids, right?" John asked, mostly to himself.

The moment the Gible was set down, it immediately dug a hole in the ground and disappeared from sight. But before John could even register what had happened, he felt a weight on his backpack again. Turning around, he found that the same Gible had returned, its mouth firmly gripping the strap once more.

"Why are you so obsessed with my bag?" John chuckled, watching the little Pokemon's antics.

Grace, who had been observing, asked curiously, "Is there something in there you're hiding from me?"

"Food, mostly," John said with a shrug. "Some clothes, some Pokeblocks for the Pokemon, just in case."

He set his backpack down and allowed the Gible to continue its destruction. The Pokemon tore into the bag with reckless abandon, rooting around until it found a box of Pokeblocks. In an instant, it had devoured the entire box, its face lighting up in pure joy.

"Guess it really likes those," John said with an amused grin.

After finishing the Pokeblocks, the Gible turned its attention back to John. It waddled over, looking up at him with big, pleading eyes as if asking, Got anything else?

"I only brought a little," John said apologetically, but it seemed like Gible wasn't ready to give up just yet.

Disappointed, Gible shuffled back toward its family, but then, after a few steps, it stopped. Turning back, it looked at John again, its eyes sparkling. Then, with a dramatic flourish, it waved its tiny paws.

John chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. It was clear the little Gible had made up its mind. It wanted to come with him.

He glanced at the Garchomp Dragon King, who stood calmly, waiting. It seemed like the decision was in John's hands.

Without hesitation, John reached for a Pokeball and tossed it toward the Gible.

That was it. Gible—one of the Pokemon he had always hoped to train, and a child of the mighty Garchomp. There was no reason not to choose it.

Besides, a little extra enthusiasm for food? It was just a bonus.

"Welcome aboard," John said with a smile as the Pokeball clicked shut.

It was done. Gible was now his