All right, my second story. Due to clichéd adventure stories, I'm going to take this and make it ORIGINAL! On with the story then.
Disclaimer: Do you really think I own Pokemon?
The alarm clock buzzed suddenly. Having been awake for an hour, I slapped the off button and stood up out of bed. Today was my thirteenth birthday, a day which held significance. I, Darryl Ritel, of Tinybranch Town, the Storan region, was about to get a Pokemon - my first Pokemon. I slowly walked out of my room, yawning, and into the bathroom, where I turned on the shower. Water. I though of the water starter, Piplup. I thought deeply about it, and set my heart on the little penguin. I turned to leave, and noticed a candle burning on the vanity. Fire. I thought of the fire starter, Chimchar. I pondered, and decided on Chimchar. I meandered back into my bedroom and over to my closet. On the way there, I saw the lawn outside. Grass. I thought of the grass starter, Turtwig, and groaned. This was getting nowhere.
After showering, I slipped on my shirt, and matted my hair, before putting on my cap. I looked myself over in the mirror. A little portly, short for my age, and a small-ish head. I admired my physique while pulling something out of my dull red hair, before stepping back out of the bathroom, thinking about starters. A whirl of red, green, and blue spun in my head as I walked into the kitchen. My parents sat at the table, discussing something or other over waffles, while my younger brother sat in front of barely touched waffles, playing with a Wartortle doll (which reminded me of Piplup). I sat down in my chair and quietly began to eat. Disrupting my parents in an engrossing debate is not recommended. After I finished my second waffle, my dad looked over at me.
"Oh! Darryl. How long have you been here?" he asked.
"Half-hour." I responded levelly. That was the average time before being noticed by them. At my voice, my mother left her trance, and gasped.
"Jordan, put your drink farther back!" she shouted, always the drama queen. Jordan, my 6 year-old brother, pushed his milk back a few inches, earning a sigh of relief from my mother.
"Well, Eleanor, what do you think? Is it safe? Or should we wait?" my dad asked. My mother, Eleanor, sighed heavily.
"Samuel, I just don't trust him. I mean... I don't want another..." she responded, starting to tear up. I understood full well what she meant - my older sister, Hannah, had been killed by a Sharpedo at fourteen. My dad, Samuel, nodded.
"Of course, she didn't study as hard. She wasn't as prepared." he said, causing his wife to break down into tears.
"Happy birthday, Darryl!" Jordan chirped from the other side of the table, his Wartortle dripping with syrup. As our mother broke down about once a week, he made no mention of her. "Yeah. Thanks, Jordan."
Eleanor sat bolt upright again. "Yes, happy birthday!" she said, still a little teary. My dad joined in.
As I was finishing my last waffle, the lights flickered, and went out. I sighed, and stood up. "I'll get the fuse." I vouched, causing a nod of gratitude from my parents, before crossing the living room and going downstairs. While in the basement, I heard a whirring sound, which I followed to the end of the hall, straight up to the fuse box, from inside which there was an abnormally loud buzz. I raised an eyebrow and swung it open, and was promptly electrocuted, briefly yet very painfully. I stumbled and fell. I could see lights flashing upstairs from electrical overload. I stood back up and looked in the box, and saw a steel ball, staring at me. A steel ball with three screws, and two magnets. Magnets in the fuse box, not good. Without thinking, I reached forward to pull them out, and was electrocuted again. I jerked back, and yelled gibberish angrily at the orb, which just stared. "Mag." it said. Said. I was being spoken to by a staring, electric metal ball. "
Yeah, Mag to you too, just get out!" I screeched.
"Mite." it said in its rough, harsh voice.
"Get... OUT!" I roared, pointing away from the fuse box.
Suddenly, a voice from upstairs. "Darryl, what are you doing down there!? Could you just fix it please?" My mother.
"Yeah, I would! There's a metal ball that's staring at me in it, and it keeps electrocuting me every time I go near it!" There was muffled laughter from upstairs.
"Never mind, I'm getting it." she answered, before starting down the stairs. I turned towards the fuse box to glare at the orb.
But the orb was gone.
I looked around frantically. I would not be thwarted by a sentient ball... or maybe I would. It was nowhere. My mother walked in, looked at the fuse box, and laughed slightly, before flipping all the fuses back on.
"Darryl... I don't think you're intelligent enough for a Pokemon journey." she sighed, before going back upstairs.
"Mag." I heard from behind me. My eyes narrowed, and I spun around backwards. If the sentient orb was complete with a mouth, I'm sure it would be grinning widely. And if it had a neck, I'm very sure I would be strangling it right now.
"STOP THAT! YOU'RE JUST A FLYING BALL, YOU SHOULDN'T BE PLAYING PRACTICAL J--NO! NO, STAY BACK!" I ordered, as the ball floated back towards the fuse box. I reached out to grab it, but my hand was shoved away by a magnetic force. It then flew into the fuse box and buzzed. All the fuses switched off, and the orb flew out. I inwardly screamed, and put the fuses back. If I got in any more trouble today, I'd be stuck here for another year until I could go on my Pokemon journey. This hovering sphere was not helping my odds. I closed and locked the fuse box, and went back upstairs.
I reached the kitchen, and was greeted with a, "Darryl, you know better than to play with fuses!" from my mother. I sighed silently, and sat down to my last waffle.
After I was finished, I stood up and took my plate to the sink, and washed it off. I turned around, and I was accosted by my parents.
"Darryl. Do you think you're prepared for your journey?" my father asked. I nodded quickly.
My mother interjected, "Are you sure? You could stay until you're fourteen-" I cut her off with, "Fourteen? Why not keep stalling until I'm twenty? I've been doing it the past three years, why stop now?" and instantly regretted it. How I wish I could undo words. She cycled through various emotions, wondering how to react, when my dad cut her off.
"He's right. He's been preparing himself thoroughly for years, he'll be fine."
"Well... he still has to pass the trainer's license test." my mother replied, a faint ray of hope sparking in her dreary face. My face, however, was growing a large smile.
I stepped up to the squat, intimidating building, with a "Trainer's License Exams" sign above the metal doors. I gulped and pushed the door, and it swung open smoothly. A wave of hot, sticky air came out, and I stepped in. A large, dimly lit room greeted me, with two chairs facing a larger chair, with a small table in front of it. and an open area with shelves around it on the other side of the room. A bored-looking man sat in the large chair, an electric fan on the floor next to him. He looked up at me, and smiled. "Finally, you're here." I nodded nervously, and he waved towards on of the chairs. I sat down, and he stood up and walked over to me. After reaching me, he handed me a few papers, and a pen, then swung out the chair's tray. I sat the papers on it and began to write.
Dark's weaknesses: Fighting, Bug.
Most powerful Flying attack: Sky Attack
Effects of Paralysis: 75 percent speed reduction, 25 percent chance of full paralysis preventing an attack
Pokemon with the Most Weaknesses: Snover, Abomasnow
I scribbled the last answer down, Power Trick, and laid the pen down, stretching my hand to relieve myself of the terrible cramps. I looked at the clock, and noticed a good three hours had escaped. The bored person smiled. "Done?" he asked, looking up from his carrot. I nodded, and he walked back over to me, and took the papers. "All right, it's time for the second test." He stated, walking back to his chair, putting the papers down on his table. I groaned inwardly. Another test!? I thought. "Time to test your abilities. Up." he said, causing me confusion. I stood up, and followed him to the open area, which, I now noticed, had a slight red tint on the floor.
"Pick up a Pokeball." he commanded, waving at the shelves. I looked them over. Jolteon, Vaporeon, Flareon, Espeon, Umbreon, Leafeon, Glaceon. I shrugged and picked up the Leafeon's ball. Some defense wouldn't hurt.
"Leafeon. I see. Leafeon's moves are as follows: Rock Smash, Hyper Beam, Razor Leaf and Quick Attack." he informed, much to my dismay. "Are you kidding me!? Those are terrible moves! I'm getting a different Pokmon!" I shuoted, holding the Pokeball in a disgusted manner.
"No, Darryl. You have to use Leafeon now. If you are truly skilled, you do not need good moves. Now, begin." he ordered throwing a ball, which released a Venomoth. I sighed. This was very bad.
"C'mon, Leafeon - let's not fail too badly. Maybe we can knock off a hit point or two." I hoped, throwing my ball into the fray, and a Leafeon emerged. I sighed. The man started. "Rey, let's get this over with. Bug Buzz." I gave my order, "Leafeon, Quick Attack." The plant fox nodded, and blurred slightly and it shot a streak across the battlefield, and hit the Venomoth, disrupting its wing flutter, but doing almost no visible damage. "Leafeon, Hyper Beam!" I ordered, using my most powerful move, since I knew I would be defeated as soon as those wings started up, which was only a matter of time. Leafeon glowed slightly before howling "Lee!" and firing a cobalt beam, which hit Rey, sending it back about an inch. The Venomoth scoffed and unleashed an enormous Bug Buzz, instantly KO'ing Leafeon, and knocking me over. I sighed. Another year of training, perhaps?
"Very good. Please sit down while I grade you." I sadly sat down, thinking of the next year. An hour later, I recieved a paper. I slowly looked down. An "F".
I then blinked, and the grade came into focus. An "A". I stared for a second, and then,
"An A!? But... you... dominated me! Why..." I trailed off. The man smiled.
"You were level fifty. I was level one-hundred. Of course I was going to win, but you did a good amount of damage. Also, here you go, your license. Carry it with pride." he finished, handing me a card, and a pen. I hurriedly signed my name, and he smiled and took the pen.
"Let's get out of here." he advised eagerly, and we both made our way to the doors.
I opened the door, and slipped out, breathing in the cool, delicious air. I then realized how long I had suffered in that building, and shuddered, hoping I didn't need another license. Off to the Pokemon lab, then! I thought, elated. I dashed as fast as I could towards the lab. Straight past a man's angry Mightyena, taking a shortcut through a dark, narrow alleyway, and straight through a flock of Spearow. When I finally reached the white and silver laboratory, I only had a few bloody wounds, mostly on my right arm, which I used to sweep away Spearows while I clutched my license in my left. I pounded on the door, and a squat man opened it - Professor Beech. "Oh, hello Darryl." he greeted, smiling. I waved my license, and he gasped slightly. "Well, going off on an adventure now, eh? Excited? But of course, you came for your starter." he mumbled, and I nodded. "Well, come in... Oh, I see you already have a Pokemon. Sorry, can't give out starters to people with Pokemon." he apologized, closing the door. "What!? Wait, I don't..." I pleaded, but I was cut off by the door closing in my face. From behind me, "Mag." I whirled around, and found myself face-to... err... face-to-eye with a floating mound of steel. "AHHH!!! LEAVE ME ALONE! STOP RUINING MY LIFE!" I begged, pulling at my hair. No answer from the orb. I sighed, and mournfully plodded towards home. No starter Pokemon, no Pokemon journey. All because of a floating steel ball.
"Magnemite." it said.
"What are you, anyway?" I asked.
"Magnemite." it responded, its grating voice starting to hurt my ears.
"Okay, Magnemite. Now, why do you have to be so counter-productive to everything I do?" I followed up. "Magmite."
"Yeah, I don't understand you. Sorry." I apologized, reaching my house. "Well, okay, you gonna vanish now, so my parents don't see you?" No answer. I looked, and it had vanished. I sighed and opened the door.