Todd Snap was a professional photographer. While most people preferred to catch Pokémon with a Poké Ball, Todd lived for capturing them through his lens. That's why he was currently traveling across Kanto—there was simply too much wonder not to document.
"Mad," Todd muttered. "This new Champion is absolutely mad."
He found himself in Viridian City. As always, the first stop for any traveler was the Pokémon Center. But what greeted him there made his eyes widen.
Typically, a Pokémon Center was a modest, practical building—easily recognizable by its red roof and its purpose: healing Pokémon. But the structure in front of Todd was something else entirely. The familiar red-and-white design remained, but it had been expanded dramatically—wider, yes, but especially taller. He couldn't even count how many floors the new Pokémon Center had.
Directly across from it stood a recently constructed complex, towering and sleek, its exterior dressed in crisp shades of blue and white.
"Police?" Todd read the sign aloud, eyebrows raised. The new building nearly rivaled the Pokémon Center in height, but its clean lines and sharp symmetry gave it a distinctly governmental look. Near the front entrance, two Growlithe stood at attention, each clad in a tiny blue vest with a gleaming badge fastened to the front.
He stepped inside the Pokémon Center—and was instantly overwhelmed by the sheer—
"What the actual fuck?!"
The words slipped out before he could stop himself. What in Arceus's name was going on?
"Young man," came a stern voice. Nurse Joy had appeared seemingly out of nowhere, looking far less cheerful than usual. "Language. Not in my Pokémon Center. Understood?"
Todd gave a sheepish nod.
"Although," she added with a sigh, her tone softening, "I do understand the reaction. I had the same one when Champion Blue announced his 'renovation plans' for every Pokémon Center across Kanto."
Todd blinked, still stunned.
The Pokémon Center had been completely reimagined. It was now divided into three distinct sections. First, there was the familiar area for healing Pokémon. But now, there was an entirely separate medical wing for humans. That was new.
"To be honest," Nurse Joy explained, gesturing toward the new ward, "it's a smart move. Chansey's healing abilities work just as well on people as they do on Pokémon. In fact, we've found it's often easier—humans don't tend to battle each other for sport. Consolidating our services into one facility makes perfect sense."
That, Todd could appreciate. He quickly snapped a picture of a Chansey gently healing both a bruised Trainer and their exhausted Growlithe. The human wing was filled with soft blue curtains, peaceful lighting, and the occasional comforting jingle from a Blissey in a nurse's cap.
To the east was a full-fledged reception area with a bold sign overhead: Kanto Pokémon League.
"What's that for?" Todd asked.
"Oh, that's the League's new satellite office," Nurse Joy replied, smiling now. "They've set one up in every Pokémon Center. Finally! It used to be us Joys explaining everything to greenhorn Trainers just starting out. Now, League officials can handle all that—registrations, rules, battle licenses, Gym updates. You name it."
And perched above the Pokémon Center was a brand-new hotel—several floors high, built exclusively for Trainers. The rates were shockingly affordable. Rooms came with personal Pokéball polishers, berry mini-bars, and healing terminals linked to the Center below. It all made the life of a traveling Trainer far more manageable.
Leaving the Center, Todd turned his camera toward the skyline. Viridian City was transforming before his very eyes. Across Kanto, stories had been swirling like a whirlwind, and lately, one name was on everyone's lips: Machamp Works.
Someone had told him that the Gym Leader of Celadon City had built a massive catwalk linking her new Gym to the largest stadium in the entire region—even bigger than the Indigo Plateau's. And the catwalk? It stretched across the entire city, from the western district to the far east.
"I have to visit Celadon when I get the chance," Todd murmured, already envisioning the shot.
He soon arrived at Viridian's new Gym, only to find… a large, plain white house.
Todd frowned. This was Blue's design?
Champion Blue was famous for doing things that were outrageous—but brilliantly so. This, however, was painfully dull.
The same went for the new stadium to the north. It was big. Clean. Functional. But it had no flair. No soul.
"Oh," Todd said, realization dawning. "I get it."
Viridian City had become aggressively… average. Buildings had sprung up all over town, yet none stood out. Normally, the Pokémon League prized uniformity. But Blue Oak, of all people, leading the charge toward normal? That was the real shock.
"LET'S KICK OAK'S ASS!"
The sudden roar of a crowd snapped Todd out of his thoughts. A surge of Trainers came flooding in from every direction, heading for the western gates—an unusual choice, as that route led to Victory Road, a path few were ever allowed to tread.
"Come on, Red!" a girl called, practically dragging a boy in a red cap behind her. She was maybe seventeen, striking and full of energy, with leaves braided into her dark hair. Todd followed, curiosity piqued. He would later learn their names: Leaf and Red, both hailing from Pallet Town and sponsored—not by Champion Blue—but by the original legend himself, Professor Oak.
The crowd, now hundreds strong, was brought to a halt at the western gate by a woman who immediately commanded Todd's full attention.
She was beautiful. But there was something dangerous in her stance—poised, calculated. Like a blade wrapped in velvet.
There's a saying that roses have thorns.
This woman?
She was a rose with machine guns.
"Dear Trainers," Rosa said coolly, her voice calm and unwavering. "The Champion predicted this… surge of enthusiasm. I'm here to offer guidance. My name is Rosa. I'm the current President of the Kanto Pokémon League."
"We don't care!" shouted a rather good-looking man to Todd's right. His voice was deep, brimming with defiance. He had shoulder-length blue hair that shimmered slightly under the sun.
"That's right!" echoed the woman beside him—equally striking, with a confident smirk and long, fiery-red hair that whipped behind her like a battle flag. "We're here to kick Oak's ass and become Champions ourselves!"
"That's right!" added a Meowth—in perfect human language.
Todd's jaw dropped. He instinctively raised his camera and captured the surreal sight in a crisp flash. A talking Meowth! And its Trainer… there was something undeniably dramatic about them both, as if they'd walked straight out of an old folktale.
The crowd surged with restless energy, ignoring Rosa entirely. That in itself was telling. In Kanto, disrespecting the authority of the League was unthinkable. That Trainers—hundreds of them—were now doing so spoke volumes. Their anger over the suspension of the Gym Circuit was boiling over.
Then, without warning, an icy gust swept across the crowd. In an instant, the noise died. Breath froze mid-sentence. Feet halted.
"Oh?" Rosa raised an eyebrow, a faint, knowing smirk curling at the corner of her lips. "You want to… kick Oak's ass?"
The temperature dropped sharply. The very air around Rosa shimmered and warped—thick with tension and unnatural cold. It was no longer just a gust of wind. It was an unspoken threat made manifest.
Then came the cry—a high, haunting call from above.
A majestic bird circled in the sky, its enormous wings gliding effortlessly through the freezing air. With each flap, frost shimmered in its wake. The creature was breathtaking: sky-blue plumage gleamed like fresh snow under morning light, and its wings looked carved from crystal ice. A graceful crest, composed of three elegant, darker blue rhombus-shaped feathers, crowned its regal head.
The Legendary Bird—Articuno—descended beside Rosa in a flurry of snow.
Snowflakes began to drift down around them. The whole crowd stared, frozen not by temperature alone, but by awe.
"A-Articuno…" Leaf whispered, her voice barely audible.
Meowth's wide eyes sparkled with disbelief. "Th-The new President… caught a Legendary Pokémon?!"
Todd snapped another photo, capturing the divine symmetry of Rosa and Articuno standing side by side. It was the kind of shot that would make history. As the camera flashed, some of the stunned Trainers blinked, as if waking from a dream.
"Don't ever disrespect our Champion," Rosa said, her voice now as frigid as the ice-type legend at her back. "Especially not in front of me."
Her piercing gaze swept across the crowd, eyes locking briefly with each Trainer, as though measuring their worth—judging whether they were even worth her attention.
"You want to go to Victory Road?" she asked. "Fine. The Kanto Pokémon League will help you."
She extended a hand toward the west gate. "Form a line right here. We'll register each and every one of you. And if you're lucky?" A sharp grin spread across her lips. "You might even receive your very own starter Pokémon."
A murmur rippled through the crowd.
Starter Pokémon?
Many of them blinked in disbelief. Some scoffed. Most looked downright insulted. These weren't kids fresh from Pallet Town—some of them were veterans, seasoned battlers who had earned their badges twice over.
And yet, in the presence of Rosa and her Articuno, even the boldest Trainers hesitated.
Todd didn't know why, but he ended up being the first in line to confront the League President. He hadn't planned on challenging the Champion—or anyone, for that matter. All he ever wanted was to capture life's most beautiful moments through his lens.
But as a photographer, he could feel it in his gut. Following this loud, chaotic group all the way to the Indigo Plateau—this was where he needed to be. He could only imagine the shots he might get on this journey.
"Name?" Rosa asked sharply, her gaze cutting through him like a Honedge. Todd had no clue where she'd learned to look like that—but it worked.
"Todd Snap."
"Birthplace?"
"Pewter City."
"Age?"
"Nineteen."
"Are you a type specialist?"
"I'm a photographer."
"Photographer?" Rosa raised an eyebrow. "That's… different. Still, is there a Pokémon type you prefer to train?"
"No, not really. I like them all."
"Hm…" Rosa leaned back, thoughtful. "Is there a city you feel especially connected to? One you'd proudly represent?"
Todd grinned. "Of course. Pewter City—everyone born there is proud of it. I wouldn't want to represent anywhere else."
"Then it's settled," Rosa smiled for the first time. "You've been given a unique opportunity, Todd. You're the first person invited to test one of Pewter City's three Starter Pokémon."
"Huh?" Todd blinked.
"It's part of a new system," Rosa explained. "Every Gym Leader now has three dedicated Starter Pokémon tied to their type. These can be given to new trainers. If you accept a Starter, you're officially registered with that Gym. Think of it as your club, your guild—your team. For Pewter, of course, your leader would be Brock. Choose wisely. Your Gym becomes something like a family during your journey."
Todd had never planned to join a Gym. But something about this bizarre new path pulled at him. The idea of documenting it all—the first steps of Champion Blue's mysterious new initiative—was too tempting.
"Brock is a respectable man. I'd have no issue being mentored by him."
"Perfect." Rosa reached beneath the desk and placed three Poké Balls on the table before her. It was almost surreal—a League President sitting at a plain desk on the edge of a city. The moment begged to be photographed.
"Since you're joining the Rock-type Gym, all three of these Starters are Rock-type," Rosa said. "You can specialize in Rock-types, if you want—but we strongly discourage full specialization. Kanto already has enough type specialists. We'd love to see more trainers with broader teams. Still, by choosing just one of these Pokémon, you'll be officially registered under the Rock Gym."
She looked him squarely in the eye. "Now, choose your Starter carefully. I doubt you'll encounter Pokémon with this much potential again anytime soon."