[Pokémon] The Adventures of the Analog Kid

[Team_SJK]

The Adventures of the Analog Kid (Rated G)

NOTE: This story makes extensive references to various electronics aspects, like the hexadecimal number system. If something doesn't make sense to you, feel free to ask me (via private or visitor message) or a fellow computer technician (on PokéCommunity) about them. I will attempt to explain anything for you to the best of my knowledge. Thank you for expressing interest in technical explanations, and I hope that you enjoy the story.
— Team SJK

The Prologue
It has been said that there exists a universe parallel to the Kanto Region. Is this the truth, or is it merely a myth? No one has really known the answer to this interesting riddle, at least until recently…

 

[Team_SJK]

Part 1

The year is 1986. It is about 2:00 in the afternoon of August the 13th, a hot and windy afternoon outside of Viridian City. The trees are constantly rocking in the wind, their silvery leaves flashing in the bright sun.
14-year-old Josh Rodney lies sleeping in a meadow not far from his home, undisturbed by the tall, swaying grass. A Pidgeot surveys the meadow as it soars overhead in the blue sky. In the distance, Josh's mother is calling for him, but he apparently does not hear her within his deep slumber.
Suddenly, a blonde-haired girl wearing a denim jacket and black jeans appears before him, watching curiously as he lay sleeping. By the time Josh wakes, the girl had already left his side, and disappears as if into nothing. Josh gets up from his resting place, and takes a look around him. About 10 feet west from where he stands, he sees a mysterious-looking portal, and decides to investigate it. He drops his baseball cap in wonder as he heads for the portal, but does not bother to go back for it. He takes a quick look at the portal, but finds himself getting pulled into it, as if by some gravitational force. Before he gets the chance to call for help, Josh disappears into the portal.
Surrounding him in the portal, Josh sees many streams of strange glyphs. Moments later, Josh finds himself in a vast wasteland of almost no life whatsoever. The blonde-haired girl appears before Josh, speaking in Binary. Confused, Josh says, "Where am I? Who are you? How did I get here?"
The girl replies, "Oh, you speak the old language, don't you? Please forgive me for speaking in our native tongue. You see, other than my grandfather, I am the one of the only people in this world who is still able to speak English. Everyone else speaks in Binary. Let me introduce myself: my name is Jenna. Welcome to Binaura, the land of digital logic. Please walk with me. I will explain everything about this world along the way."

 

[Team_SJK]

Part 2

"So your name is Josh, correct? Very nice to meet you," Jenna continued. "Let me take you to my grandfather's house. He is a very nice old man who invents all kinds of stuff. He may even be able to help you find your way back to the year 1986. But before we do any of that, we have got to get through the Nand Gate. It's not hard, really. Are you ready?"
"Yeah, I guess," Josh replied.

About ten minutes later, Jenna and Josh finally arrive at the Nand Gate.

"Okay," Jenna explained, "Here's how to open this gate. There are two hidden switches, one on each side of the gate. Both switches need to be turned on at the same time in order for the gate to be unlocked. Do you understand?"
"Yes, I understand," Josh answered.
Jenna continued, "Good. I'll show you where one of the switches is. You activate this switch, and I'll get the other one." Jenna then went to where the other switch was located.
"On a count of three, we'll hit the switches. One... Two... Three!"
The relay for the gate's force field de-energized with a faint click, and the laser barrier vanished.
"All right! Now that we can get through, let's go visit my grandfather," Jenna said.

Ten more minutes later, Josh and Jenna arrive at the elder's home. Jenna's Luxray greeted them upon arrival.
"This is my Luxray, and his name is Arashi," Jenna explained.
"Whoa! He looks fierce," Josh remarked.
"Don't let his appearance fool you," Jenna went on, "deep down inside, he is as gentle as a house cat. Right, Arashi?"
Just as she finished, Arashi affectionately brushed up on Jenna.
"So, there's Pokémon here too, huh?" Josh asked.
"Yup, all kinds of Pokémon live here. So, where exactly do you come from?" Jenna spoke.
"A place known as Viridian City, in the Kanto Region," Josh replied.
"Interesting… Well, I think we should be heading inside. I've got someone you should meet," Jenna continued.
And after that, Jenna opened the door.
"I'm back," Jenna said after entering the doorway, "I've brought someone you should meet."
Josh said, "Uh, Jenna, do you think it's a little risky for this?"
"Trust me, Josh. Grandpa likes guests, as long as they're not AODs or malicious cyborgs."

Moments later, a man in his early eighties comes through the hallway, standing a levitating platform with a relatively long control stick.
"Jenna! Welcome home, child. Who is this fine young fellow?" the old man says. "Grandpa, this is Josh. He has come from the year A.D. 1986," Jenna explained.
"Pleased to meet you, Josh. My name is Jonn," the old man said. "So you come from the year 1986, hmm? Now, isn't that something? That happens to be the year I was born in." Josh looked at the old man in disbelief. "I guess it's only natural for an outsider to look at us Binarians in disbelief," Jonn chuckled, "but fear not, Josh, for I am certainly not like anyone else around here. While some Binarians frown upon outsiders, I welcome them, as long as they are programmed to discern right from wrong. And I can sense that in you. Thus, I welcome you," Jonn continued.

"Jenna, please show our guest around our house, and when you're done, show him his sleeping quarters," Jonn requested.
"Yes sir." Jenna replied, "Hey Josh, let me you show around."
Ten minutes had passed during Josh's tour around the elder's house.
"...And this is Grandpa's lab. He has been working here pretty much all of his life. This is where he gets most of his ideas for assistive technology. You know that platform he always rides around on? He created that in this very room so he could get around easier after the AOD severely injured him."
"I hear you mention the term AOD all of the time around here," Josh replied, "so what exactly is an AOD?"
Jenna explained, "An AOD is an Animatron of Destruction. They are nothing but programs of pure evil, stored in house-sized robotic bodies. To defeat one, you must have a special weapon, which I will discuss with you at a later time."
Just as Jenna finished talking, Jonn called the youths upstairs for dinner. "Tonight, because you came, Josh, we are having a very special dinner. While the two of you were touring my house, I was informed of some your favorite meals. Our robotic cook has made one of them, based on the encoded recipe, to the best of its abilities."

 

[Team_SJK]

Part 3

The robotic cook came into the dining room, and dinner was served.
"So, you come from the Kanto Region, correct?" Jonn asked, "Well, isn't that something? I was born in the Kanto Region as well. Vermilion City, to be exact."
Josh replied, "That's pretty cool! I was born in Viridian City. And by the way, these taquitos are fantastic! They are just the way my... mother... makes them."
At that point, he thought of his mother, and started to feel somewhat morose about her. Jonn came over and embraced Josh, and asked, "What's the matter, Josh? Please tell me what's troubling you."
"My mother... She's worried sick about me... I must get back to Viridian City at once!" Josh replied.
Jonn comforted Josh and said, "My boy, there's no need to worry. Everything will be all right, and we'll get you back to Viridian City as soon as possible. Until then, you had better eat your taquitos. They're not going to get any warmer by just sitting there on your plate."
After hearing this, Josh regained his composure, and resumed eating.
"Now, tomorrow is going to be quite a big day for you, Josh. I have decided on sending you on a little bit of a quest, which I will discuss with you during breakfast tomorrow morning." Jonn said, "Now that dinner's over, let's head for the den and have a little fun on our 512-bit video game system."

The 512-bit video game system turned out to be more exciting than what Josh had played on his Nintendo Entertainment System or Sega Master System back home. Josh and Jenna were playing Nintendo's first commercially successful virtual reality video game system: The Nintendo Virtual Three D. There were lots of differences between the Super Mario Bros. game Josh was accustomed to and the Super Mario Bros. game he played in Jonn's den. Instead of controlling a relatively blocky Mario on a flat screen using a brick-like controller, Josh controlled a near-realistic 3D Mario on virtual reality head gear using a controller that was directed by Josh's thoughts. And instead of monaural sound like on his NES, Josh could hear the video game on a set of surround sound headphones. The hexadecimal clock chimed at 1500, or 9:00 PM; it was time for Jenna and Josh to hit the sack. Jonn followed suit at 150F (9:15 PM), as it takes him 15 minutes to complete his nightly routine: first, he let Arashi in, then shut his machines down one by one, and finally he activated the electromechanical lock on the front door. By 151E, the house was completely dark: all of the computers and robots in the house were on standby, the humans were off to sleep, and Arashi was all curled up on his black nano-fleece throw at Jonn's bedside.

 

[Team_SJK]

Part 4

The big day had finally arrived. The hexadecimal clock now read 060F, indicating it was time for breakfast. As the youths were eating, Jonn had informed Josh of the master plan.
"Josh, if you want to return to Viridian City, you're going to have to talk with the Oracle of Digital Technology, at the Temple of Syrinx. But fear not, as the oracle is a very nice man. I'll give you a few devices that will help you on your way."
As soon as he had finished talking, Jonn entrusted the first device to Josh.
"Twenty-five years from your own time, Nintendo released a handheld device known as the Nintendo DSi," Jonn explained. "This happens to be a modified version of the DSi, and so it will be your communicator, which will keep us in contact with each other."
And then, the second device was given to Josh.
"Hey, this looks just like my Casio pocket TV back home," Josh exclaimed.
"That is exactly what this is, my boy, except I have modified this as well," Jonn added. "This is a pocket-sized global positioning system, which will help you find your way to any location you program into it. The antenna on the back can be extended for better signal reception, just like on your pocket TV. I also want you to have this, for self-defense against the cyborgs and AODs you will encounter on the way."
After finishing the explanations, Jonn gave a laser pistol to Josh.
"Jenna, I want you to go with Josh to see the Oracle."
"Yes sir," Jenna replied.
"Be careful, both of you. And Josh, if you need to get a hold of me or if I need to tell you of something, you need only to tap the onscreen button, and it will automatically place the call."
"Will do," Josh replied.
And before they knew it, Josh and Jenna were on their way to see the Oracle of Technology at the Temple of Syrinx.

About five minutes into the quest, Josh and Jenna encountered their first enemy: a cyborg.
"Josh, check this out! There's a weak spot in the middle of that cyborg's back. I'll distract it, and you disable it with the laser pistol, got it?" Jenna exclaimed.
And so, Jenna distracted the cyborg, and Josh fired at the cyborg's back. The recoil of the pistol knocked Josh to the ground.
"Are you all right, Josh?" Jenna asked.
"I think so. I never expected this gun to knock me down," Josh responded.
"It's good that you're all right. Let's keep going." Jenna said.
After ten more minutes, an AOD appeared.
Jenna immediately spoke, "This one's a bit more complicated, but I think we can knock this thing down quickly and easily. Luckily, I brought my MTS, or machine thought scrambler. I'll confuse it, and you fire at its chest, okay? I think you can fire a charged shot if you hold the trigger for a couple seconds."
Jenna then used her MTS, and, in anticipation of the pistol's recoil, Josh put his right foot behind him, as if to cast off on his rollerblades, and fired a charged shot at the megalith. After crashing to the ground, the AOD had disintegrated into nothing.

After a long journey of defeating cyborgs and other strange monsters, Jenna and Josh had finally arrived at the Temple of Syrinx. As they entered, a strange, pulsing sound echoed from the oracle's chambers, while a Lucario met them at the entryway and led them to the altar.
"Right this way, Jenna and… Josh. The priest has been patiently waiting for you," the Lucario said.
"How did you know my name?" Josh asked.
"The Aura, my friend, has enabled me to identify you. This Aura that I speak of is with all of us: you just need to believe in it. And by the way, you can call me Lupin." the Lucario replied.
As the three approached the altar, the teens fell to their knees to pay homage to the Alpha and Omega above, while the Lucario went back into the priest's quarters.
"Master," the Lucario spoke after entering the priest's room, "there are a couple of humans who would like to see you."
"Thank you very much, Lupin," the priest answered.
And then, a very young man, with shoulder-length white hair and a likewise colored tunic, got up from kneeling and entered the main area of the temple.
"So you are the messengers sent by my good friend, Jonn? I have prayed for your arrival for several hours," the young man spoke. Just then, the oracle revealed himself. "I am very pleased to see you again, Jenna. Who is this young man you have brought with you?"
Jenna replied, "Father, this is Josh. He has come from the year 1986, and he needs your help in returning."
The oracle turned to Josh and said, "Pleased to meet you, Josh. I am Riku, the Oracle of Digital Technology, but other human beings call me The Digital Man. It is to my understanding that you need to return to the year 1986, correct? If this is indeed true, then I can help you, but first I have a favor to ask of you, if you are ready."
"Anything you wish, Father," Josh replied respectfully.

 

[Team_SJK]

Part 5

"There is a circuit board in the dungeons of this temple that will reopen a portal that will bring you back to your own time. If you can defeat all of the cyborgs and Animatrons of Destruction and retrieve the circuit board, then I shall go with you and Jenna to the portal. If you find that the pistol, which Jonn entrusted to you, has depleted its power supply, there are various energy generators throughout the dungeons you can recharge it with. Are you up for the challenge?"
Josh respectfully nodded his head.
"Very well, then. You shall go forth and take the ultimate test. But before you go, allow me to entrust these force fields to you and Jenna. You will certainly need them when you're going up against those monsters. The passage to the dungeons is located under that confessional by the temple entrance, which I will assist you in moving. Please be careful while you're in the dungeons. And Lupin, I want you to go with them."
"Yes, Master Riku," Lupin replied.

Josh, Jenna, Riku, and Lupin proceeded toward the confessional, and moved it aside, thus uncovering a stairway that led to the dungeons below. Riku continued, "I will shut the entrance behind you to prevent any other monsters from entering. I will also be monitoring and giving advice to you by means of this handheld communicator that Jonn had given to me. To get the communicators to interact with each other, I must change a few settings. Josh, could you please let me use your communicator for a moment?"
"Sure," said Josh.
Thirty seconds later, Josh's communicator was configured to interact with the other, and Riku then returned the device to Josh.
"I cannot stress this enough, please be careful, and do not get in over your heads. I will remain up here, praying for your safe return," Riku finished.

The first basement level seemed like a breeze for Lupin, Jenna and Josh, with only three cyborgs to eliminate. The second level was just a little bit more complicated, with just 2 AODs, but it was nothing that the trio couldn't handle. As Josh, Jenna, and Lupin reached the third level, the communicator began to vibrate in Josh's pocket. Remembering what Jonn had said about operating the communicator, Josh opened it up, tapped the button on the touch screen, and then Riku appeared on the top screen.
"It appears that you have already cleared the first and second levels. Excellent job, all three of you! I am very pleased at your quick progress. However, what lies ahead is the final, and most difficult level of all. Do you both have what it takes to master the final level? If your pistol is low on energy, you would be better off charging it now than later."

Twenty cyborgs and five AODs later, Josh, Lupin, and Jenna came to a room where the portal control board was contained. As they began to approach the pedestal, a massive cyborg/AOD hybrid appeared, as if from nowhere. Applying their knowledge from eliminating the machines they defeated earlier, Jenna distracted the hybrid long enough for Josh to fire a shot at the back of the monstrous machine. The hybrid returned fire, only to miss the three of them by an inch. Jenna tried to confuse it, but her MTS refused to start up. Lupin unleashed an Aura Sphere on the machine, but wasn't very effective. Josh was trying to fend off the megalith on his own, while Jenna was struggling in getting the MTS to work again. Finally, the MTS started up, Jenna successfully confused the machine, and Josh fired a supercharged shot at the machine's chest, making it crash to the concrete floor in front of the pedestal. Jenna, Josh, and Lupin cleared the way not a moment too soon, and the megalith disappeared into nothing, just like the AOD the teens encountered on the way to the temple. The communicator in Josh's pocket vibrated once more.
"Well done, my friends," Riku said, "You have defeated all of the monsters in the dungeons. However, to obtain the board, you must enter the combination into the surface of that pedestal in front of you."
"So, what is the combination?" Josh asked.
"How many enemies have you defeated? Subtract that by six, add 1,000, and you'll get your answer. If you're stumped, use the calculator on your communicator."
The transmission had ended after Josh heeded Riku's words of advice.

"We defeated 30 machines total," Josh calculated, "so subtract six from that… which makes 24. Add 1,000 to that, and… I've got it! Jenna, the combination is 1024."
"Are you sure about that? You might want to check again…" Jenna said with uncertainty.
A nervous grin came across Josh's flushed face.
Ten seconds later, Jenna cracked a smile, and laughed, "That look on your face… that was priceless!"
Lupin began laughing from the gut. "I'll have to agree with you, Jenna: That was actually very funny, and it usually takes a lot to make me laugh."
Just then, Josh joined in on the laughter. After Josh regained his composure, he entered the combination of 1024, and pressed the Enter key. The blue laser barrier flashed green twice in confirmation, and then decayed into the surface of the pedestal. The circuit board was ready to be taken.

 

[Team_SJK]

Part 6

After ten minutes of backtracking, Josh, Jenna, and Lupin returned to the entrance of the dungeons, with the board in hand, to find that the confessional had already been moved. Thinking nothing of it, the three emerged, and found that Riku was gone. Worried, Josh used the communicator to call Jonn, but he too was away for the moment. Panicking, Jenna, Josh, and Lupin made haste for the house by the gate. Along the way, they found Riku, lying on the road in pain.
"Master!" Lupin exclaimed angrily, "who did this horrendous thing to you??"
"My children, please take me to Jonn. I have been attacked by an AOD, and now my leg is broken. I need medical attention fast. Fortunately, I defeated the monster with my digital logic before it had the chance to finish me off. Regardless, take me to Jonn as quickly as you can."
"It's payback time, you pathetic AODs," Lupin thought as he used Aura to ease Riku's pain, "I'll get you real good with my Aura Sphere!"

About twenty minutes later, Josh, Jenna, Lupin, and Riku made it to the old man's house. Jonn had come up from his lab into the living room, and found the four at the front door.
"Master Riku! What happened, my boy?" the old man asked.
Riku replied, "I was attacked by an AOD, and I broke my leg. I need your help, fast."
"Okay, Jenna and Josh, bring Master Riku downstairs with me. I have just the fix for his broken leg."
"Wow, look at all of this technology," Lupin thought. "I have never seen anything like this."

"You are in luck, Master Riku. I have just finished testing a regeneration machine that will repair any damaged body part on any living thing. The tests came back successful on every injured creature, and they walked off feeling absolutely no pain, so it should work without fail on your leg," the old man explained. "First, I must administer to you this rapid release anesthesia tablet, and then we can begin."

About two minutes had passed, and Riku was out like a lamp. Josh and Jenna placed the oracle inside the regenerator, and Jonn closed the chamber afterward. The machine scanned Riku's body for damage, and located the injury with pinpoint precision. After deciding the best possible method of treatment, the machine regenerated the missing section of bone, and fused the regenerated section with the original, all within sixty minutes. The procedure was as successful as Jonn had hoped. When Riku came to, he found himself lying on the couch in the den, with his trusted friend Lupin standing right next to him. The pain in his leg… gone like the megalith he had taken out an hour and a half earlier.

 

[Team_SJK]

Part 7

"I do not quite know how to say this, but thank you sincerely for healing my leg, Jonn. It feels like nothing had happened to me at all. Your technology never fails to impress me, and I appreciate all you have done for the land of Binaura. And now, I can send Josh back to Viridian City as promised," Riku said to the old man.
After extending his thanks to Jonn, Riku turned to Josh and asked, "Are you ready, my analog friend? Then let us make haste to the portal from which you have come." And so, Josh said goodbye to Jonn and Jenna, and proceeded with Riku through the Nand Gate, after Riku used his handheld deactivator to bring down the laser barrier. Before long, the trio found their way to the portal, and Riku assumed his position at the control terminal while Josh stood on the platform.
"Take care, my friend. And as with everyone, may the Aura be with you always," Lupin said as Josh shook his paw.
Just as the platform began to energize, Riku shouted, "I hope to see you again sometime. Take care now!" Just as Riku finished speaking, Josh was already on his way back to Viridian City.

All around Josh were the very same streams of binary digits as he entered Binaura, but the streams instead flowed downward. Moments later, he found himself in the same meadow he had originally started from. Suddenly, Duke, the family's Arcanine, spotted Josh lying there in the long grass and took off for him. His mother soon followed.
"Joshua! There you are! I have been looking for you for ten minutes straight. You had me worried when you suddenly disappeared."
Josh responded, "I was gone for just ten minutes?"
"Yes, ten minutes. Where were you?" his mother inquired.
On the way back to the house, Josh explained to his mother what had happened.