"Mum, Leaf's trying to enter my personal space!" the teenager yelled as he attempted to keep the door shut against his sister, nearly falling down the steps in the process. But she was having none of it.
"You liar! You're invading on my private time!" she shouted backed as she put as much energy as she could into opening the door.
Then their mother entered the scene. Her face was bright red, despite the fact that she had sat indoors all day and had the fan constantly on. She felt extremely tired and had a massive headache, and so her children squabbling and acting like they were five didn't help matters much.
"Fire, let Leaf in. You know that the room is for the whole family, so share nicely you two," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, before going back to the sofa to take another nap. Leaf stuck her tongue out at her twin brother as her very reluctantly let her through. The room itself was rather plain, with white walls and a wooden floor. The only furniture in the basement was a sofa, a couple of matching chairs and a widescreen TV, along with a table with a number of the kid's magazines. The two windows high in the wall were open in an attempt to let in as much air as possible. There were a number of gaming consoles scattered around the TV, but the one that was currently being played was the Wii, where Fire's best friend Water was waiting. Fire sat down next to him, eager to continue the game that they had been playing.
"Okay, sis, seeing as you've been reluctantly allowed entrance whilst it's currently our time, sit down and shut up whilst we finish this game," Fire commanded. That suited her just fine, so she did so, finding a magazine to read whilst they finished their stupid game. It was one of those moronic fighting games that featured characters from many different franchises. It looked like her brother was winning, and he did. After they had finished the match, they switched the console off and left, with Fire mock bowing at Leaf. She simply scowled at him as she flicked the channel over to a music channel.
The two boys went outside and played a game of football, kicking the ball about mindlessly as they talked. Although it was reaching the end the last day of summer, the day was just as hot as it had been at the start of the season, with not a cloud in the sky – or any sign of rain for that matter. The grass was becoming brown and the ground was extremely dusty and hard. However, the weatherman forecasted that it would become milder as the month went on, with showers coming soon.
"Have you decided what Starter you're going to get tomorrow? " Fire asked.
"Not particularly. I was thinking of Squirtle, as Blastoise is supposed to be pretty powerful. What about you?" Water replied as he kicked the ball back to Fire.
"Me? I was thinking of Bulbasaur. That way, I could kick Bock and Misty's asses and thus give me more time to decide my proper team."
"I can't blame you. There are so many Pokemon around that picking that perfect team member can be difficult," Water said as he nodded in agreement. He got in the way of the incoming ball, picked it up, and threw it to Fire. "Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then. Big day ahead for all of us," he added as he walked off back to his house, which was just around the corner. Fire gave a little wave and looked at him until he disappeared, then entered the house. He passed his mother sitting on the couch, and decided that he was going to make dinner tonight. His mother wasn't up to doing anything, not with the illness she had, and Leaf – well, she would undoubtedly not do it out of pure laziness.
Entering the kitchen, he went straight to the fridge to see what they had available. Mincemeat and a bit of salad. Perfect. He pre-heated the oven, and then went outside to the freezer. He found the last of the chips right at the very back. Back in the kitchen, he put them on an oven tray and placed them in the oven. In the meanwhile, he placed the mincemeat into a frying pan and put it on the highest heat possible, all the while stirring constantly. He added a stock cube to give the meat more flavouring, as well as some seasoning. After ten minutes, he turned the heat under the frying pan right down. In the meanwhile, whilst he was waiting for the chips to cook, he prepared the salad by chopping up some tomatoes and mushrooms, and mixed them together along with the lettuce leaves and a little dressing. He prepared the plates with the salad and mice, then put the chips out of the oven and plated them up. He took his mother her plate, where she thanked him for doing such a kind thing, whilst he had to shout at the basement door to get his sister to hear.
Once they were all in the living room, eating their last meal together, their mother asked the question that she had been dreading for a long time.
"So, have each of you decided what Starter Pokemon you want?" she asked. She immediately regretted it.
"I'm going to get Bulbasaur, as he's the most economical food wise as he only needs sunlight," Fire began, but was cut off by Leaf.
"Well, I'm going to get Charmander, as he can evolve into Charizard, so I don't have to waste a spot on my team for a flier. Anyways, Venusaur are so ugly looking, what with those warts and all."
"Looks aren't what matter for battles, only the power of the Pokemon and the skill of the trainer," Fire countered. But Leaf was having none of that.
"I'll show you that true beauty can make me Champion of Kanto and Johto!" she shouted before slamming her plate to the floor, spilling the contents all over the place, and stomping her way up to her room, slamming the door behind her. This caused their mother to burst into spontaneous tears. Fire put his plate down and went over to comfort her.
"I'm sorry that I got into a shouting match with her. I should have known better than that," he said as he put his arm around her shoulder and hugged her tight, feeling immensely guilty.
"N...no, it's my fault. I shouldn't have asked that stupid question with the two of you in the same room," she replied between tears. "Now, help me clean up this mess and then finish your dinner. After that, I'll help you pack for tomorrow." At that, he stood up and faced her.
"You shouldn't do that in your condition. Besides, if I can't even look after myself in that regard, how am I going to look after other Pokemon?" That seemed to cheer his mother up as she gave a watery chuckle.
"I get the point. Now, come on, let's clean up this mess," she said. Fire got the dustpan and brush from under the kitchen sink, and attempted to sweep up as much as he could. When he had done that, he helped his mother pick up the bits and pieces that he had missed previously. They worked in silence, Fire knowing that he was in some trouble, despite his mum apparently getting over the matter.
Once finished, he went upstairs to his room, but not before telling Leaf that she was wanted downstairs. He shut the door behind him, and looked around the room. Although it was relatively small, there was a lot of stuff crammed into it, including books hiding under the bed, a double chest of draws, a pine wardrobe, and a double bed. The walls were light mint green, and had two windows set into them. One faced the street, which was currently deserted, and the other faced the house next door. He found his backpack hanging off the door, and wondered with what he should start with first.
Clothes seemed an appropriate place to start, so he neatly folded up a spare set of everything – pants, tee-shirts, trousers, shorts, jumper, etc, and put them into the backpack. Next, he rummaged through the numerous books that he owned, and found the one he wanted – a travel guide of Kanto, pointing out all of the attractions, both famous and obscure, in each city that him and Water would hopefully visit. His backpack had two side pockets and a front pocket, which he intentionally left empty so that he could put any supplies he brought in them. In the background, he could hear his mother and sister talking, for once, but he ignored it and concentrated on the task at hand.
Next, he picked out the clothes that he would be starting out in. He decided on a pair of light coloured jeans, a black tee-shirt, and a red vest with while lining. To complement the outfit, he found his cap that he had brought on a family trip to the Hoenn Region. It was red, with a white peak and had a thick white line symbolising the top half of a Poke Ball. The final item was a sleeping bag, that he attached to the outside of the backpack. Water would be bringing the tent for them to both share if they were far away from civilisation. Having finished packing the essentials, Fire found a book of short stories that he wished to take with him, and started reading it. One of the stories was about a Cubone who had lost his mother at a very early age to poachers, so was wondering about the wilderness until he came across a human who is willing to take him in. After finishing the story, he got undressed, and then went to sleep, with his sister's incessant chatting ringing in his ears.
SC
The next day, Fire got up, feeling refreshed for the day ahead. Knowing that he had to be at Professor Oak's place soon, he got dressed, and went downstairs to prepare some toast that he could eat on the way to the lab. As usual, his mother was already downstairs, waiting to see her offspring off. She looked much better than she had yesterday, with normal coloured skin, little to sweat, and no sign or any headaches. In fact, Fire thought that she hadn't looked that healthy for a good number of months.
"Morning mum," he said as he entered the kitchen.
"Morning, Fire," she replied likewise. He put the toast in the toaster, and then sat down next to her.
"I wish I didn't have to go – not with you and this illness at least," he started, but his mother put his hand up to stop him.
"Like I've said before, I don't want to unnecessarily hold you back from what you've wanted to do for a long time – illness or no. Besides, I'll get better eventually, especially once autumn truly sets in and the blistering sun isn't out as much."
"Okay, I trust you. I'm just worried, that's all."
"I understand. But like I just said, I'll be fine. Now, you better take your toast and get over to Professor Oak's place before you're late," she said with a smile as he grabbed it and walked out of the door. A moment later, he was back, confusion on his face.
"What about Leaf?" he asked. His mother chucked. Despite their apparent hatred of each other, she knew that deep down, they both respected and cared for each other, even if they would never admit that.
"Don't worry about her, Fire," she countered. "When she's ready to get up, I'll help her get ready." At that moment, there was a yell, and a frantic rushing about as Leaf evidently realised the time, and was hurrying about to get dressed and packed. Soon enough, she was downstairs, looking completely untidy and out of breath. She had thrown on a plain red skirt that came to way above her knees, a green tank top, along with thick green socks and a hat that didn't suit her in the state that she was in. During all of that, Fire was eating his toast before it got cold.
"I'm ready," she said as she struggled to do her bag up.
"Okay, honey. Here's some toast and food for both of you," she replied as she handed them a lunchbox each. They each contained sandwiches, an energy bar, and a mixture of fruit and nuts to last them a while. They nodded their gratitude, hugged and kissed their mother goodbye, and promised to call her as often as possible. With that, they left the house for the final time, and set out from the laboratory.
As the weatherman had predicted, there were a few clouds overhead, helping to break up the monopoly of the blue skies that had persisted the past few days, although there didn't look enough for there to be rain just yet. The non-identical twins walked side by side, quiet reigning between then, unlike usual occurrences.
After a while, Fire broke the silence.
"Good luck," he simply said. Leaf looked at him.
"What for?" she asked.
"Isn't it obvious? For the League Championship. I just wanted to wish you good luck, and may the best person win," he answered.
"Ummm, thanks, I guess," she responded, as the silence returned, with the exception of feet on dirt.
SC
It didn't take them long to reach the lab. It was the biggest building in the small community that was Pallet Town, and besides, the calls and cries of the Pokemon could be heard from miles away, despite the comparative distance the facility was from the town. The lab owned a large amount of land, allowing plenty of habitats to be built for the various Pokemon sent there to enjoy themselves in, such as forests and lakes.
They walked up the numerous stone steps that led up to the lab itself, which was situated on top of a hill. Once at the double doors, they knocked, and waited for a little while to be escorted in. When the doors were eventually opened, they saw that it was Water, who must have arrived with his grandfather, Professor Oak himself.
"Hey there Fire, Leaf," he said as he greeted them. "Grandpa's waiting in the back room, so follow me," he added as they entered. Today, he was wearing a black shirt with bright purple trousers. Around his waists was a purple armband around each one. He obviously had time to get ready that morning, as his orange hair was gelled into many spikes. Fire and Leaf had never been in the lab before, so this was a whole new experience for them. It was as large as it appeared on the outside, with numerous machines lining the white stone walls that none of the teenagers could guess the function of. There were stairs leading up to an observatory of some kind, but they went past them, and instead, went through a door in the back room. Inside was a table carrying three Poke Balls. They knew that they contained the Starter Pokemon. They all stood in a line whilst Professor Oak was finishing composing an e-mail on his laptop. Once done, he shut it, and faced the three teenagers.
"Fire, Leaf, thank you for being here on time for this important occasion," he began. "As you can probably guess, they contain the three Starter Pokemon for this Region – Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. Each of these Pokemon have unique strengths and weaknesses, as well as abilities. Now, to help make your choice easier, I will release them, and you can study them. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me," he concluded. He went over to the table, picked up the Poke Balls, and released the Pokemon from within.
The Pokemon the appeared on the trainer's left side was a Bulbasaur. It appeared to be very calm in nature, as it simply sat down on its hind legs, and waited patiently to be picked. It was a light blue in colour, with some dark green patches visible on its skin. It had large eyes, with bright red irises. The most noticeable feature about the Pokemon, however, was the bulb that was prominent on its back. It was bright green in colour, and presumably what allowed the Pokemon to photosynthesise all of the food that it needed to survive.
The Pokemon that was in the middle of the trio was a Charmander. It was bright orange in colour, with a flame on the tip of its tail. There were numerous tiny but sharp teeth in its mouth that looked like they could chew anything it set its mind to. It was currently exploring around Bulbasaur, trying to see what was in the seed, but the Pokemon was mature about the whole situation and simply sat there, ignoring the small claws that were going across its bulb.
The last Pokemon to be released was Squirtle. Its skin was a light blue, and it had a tail that appeared similar to a wave on the ocean. The most distinguishing feature about the Pokemon, however, was its patterned shell and torso, which looked a little soft to defend against anything serious. Currently, it was sneaking up behind Charmander, and managed to pull its tail, causing it to give out a shout of pain. It then proceeded to chase the Squirtle around the room, until Professor Oak recalled the latter back into its Poke Ball. Although each of the teenagers had numerous questions they wanted to asked, Water got first pick.
"What kind of food do they eat?" he asked.
"That's a very good question, Water. Now, Bulbasaur usually photosynthesises using the sun to receive all of the nutrients it needs to survive, but giving it the occasional treat, such as a berry or something brought from the stores for example, won't hurt it in the slightest. This still applies even once the Pokemon has evolved into Ivysaur and Venusaur. Charmander, on the other hand, needs a lot of food to live, as it can be rather energetic. Again, berries can be used as a treat, but it will need to eat a large amount of meat to get its recommended amount of carbohydrates and protein. Finally, Squirtle is an aquatic Pokemon; therefore, if you are near a pond or the sea, allow it to feed on the seaweed or small bugs that populate the area. Now are there any more questions?"
Fire was next. "How many hours a day or week should we let our Pokemon out?"
"That depends on the individual Pokemon, as well as its particular nature. In general, though, I would recommend around one to two hours a day at least. The more time that they are out, the more time you have to bond with your Pokemon. Plus, that is a perfect opportunity to practice any new moves that your Pokemon might be struggling with. Any more questions?" he asked. This time, there was only one from Leaf.
"How many times a year are there League Competitions?" he requested. The Professor was a little taken aback to be asked the question so soon, but he didn't let it faze him.
"There are four tournaments every year, meaning there is one every three months. You will have to go against the Elite Four – Lorelei, Bruno, Agatha and Lance. Plus the current Champion, James, of course. If you manage to win, the tournament will automatically end and you will be considered the Champion for at least three months, until the next tournament comes around. You will have to fight them consecutively one at a time, spread over five days. You cannot use any items within the battle itself but you obviously can before and afterwards, as well as heal at the Pokemon Centre. Does that answer your question?" he concluded. Leaf nodded.
"Good. Well, if that's everything that you wish to ask, then we can get onto the most important part of the day – picking your Pokemon. Now, the way we do this is to toss a coin to decide who gets to pick first. That way, there can be no bias involved, and everybody gets a fair chance," the Professor said as he pulled out a coin from his lab coat pocket. "Decide between you who's going to pick heads and tails." There was a moment of discussion between the three of them. In the end, the boys decided on heads, and Leaf on tails. The coin was flicked, and it produced tails. Leaf jumped up and down for joy, and picked up the Charmander with both hands. Sensing a threat to itself, the Pokemon slashed its claws down her arm, causing her to yell in pain. There was a moment as the Professor got the first aid kit and patched her up. Once done, he handed Leaf Charmander's Poke Ball.
"You have a difficult task in front of you, Leaf," Professor Oak said. "Charmander are the most temperamental of the three Starters available, and that one appears to be particularly naive when it comes to human contact. I hope you manage to cope okay."
"Ohhh, I will, you can count on that Professor. Despite what some people seem to think," she said as she turned to give Fire a piecing glare, which he ignored. It wasn't his problem that his sister was so immature.
"Okay, then, Fire and Water, it's your turn to pick heads or tails again." This one was easy. The coin was tossed, and Fire 'won' by picking heads again. He knelt down in front of the Bulbasaur, and spoke to it.
"Hello there. My name is Fire, and I'm going to be your new owner," he said as he patted the Bulbasaur on its head. The Pokemon seemed to enjoy the action and sensation, as it gave a huge smile and gave out a joyous cry of its name.
"You like that, don't you," he responded as he stood up again. Professor Oak smiled as he looked at the scene, and then turned towards his grandson.
"It looks like you have been left with Squirtle, Water," he stated as he handed the Poke Ball to the trainer.
"I'm not disappointed, as it's the one I wanted anyway," he replied.
"Good, good, I'm glad that everyone's got the Pokemon that they wanted," the Professor said as he recalled Bulbasaur and Charmander. "Now that that has been sorted, then we can properly begin. Firstly, you will need your photo taken for your Trainer ID card, so if you could form a line at the back wall there," the Professor asked of them as he retrieved his digital camera from the draw of his desk. Each of the trainers had to stand against one of the white walls, and smiled for the camera. Once done, all the photos were downloaded onto the computer, and the most suitable one was picked for the ID card. Thirdly, the cards themselves were produced, printed out and laminated, but not before a chip was inserted, to keep an accurate tracking of each of the trainer's Pokemon that they had on hand, as well as stored in the PC. The final thing to be done was the issuing of the Pokedexes.
"These Pokedexes will be invaluable for your journey ahead. They will tell you the moves that your Pokemon have and will be able to learn. If you point them at another Pokemon, you will be able to collect data on it, as well as a short description. My dream, all those years ago, was to collect all the Pokemon that are available in the world. Now, however, I am an old man, who is forced to look after other people's Pokemon instead," he said with a small hint of bitterness. "No matter, however! That is the past, and this is the future. To help you on this task, I will give you five regular Poke Balls each," he said as he went to the storage facility, and came back with the Poke Balls in question. "Five for you, Water, five for you, Fire, and finally, five for you, Leaf," he said as he passed each of them in turn. Once done, he returned to his original position. "Now that you have everything to begin your journey with, I wish all of you the very best of luck, and hope that you succeed on whatever you set your sights on," he finished, indicating that the trainers could go.
The three of them exited the lab, unsure of what to say. This was it. The day that they had been waiting for as long as they could remember. Whilst they had been inside, the sky had clouded over, and had the strong potential to rain at some point or other. Whilst Fire and Water were discussing their plans for the immediate future, Leaf ran on ahead, eager to get a good start on the good boys. But then she stopped, thought about something, and then turned around to face them.
"Fire, I challenge you to our first Pokemon battle," she issued as she pointed her finger at him.
He groaned. "Are you sure about that, Leaf?" he asked. "Shouldn't you get better acquainted with your Pokemon first, before putting it in such a strenuous situation?"
"I don't need to do that. I know my Pokemon has all the skills it needs to beat your Bulbasaur into the ground." Water face palmed, and turned to Fire.
"Just fight her already. The sooner you beat her, the sooner we can make progress to Viridian City." Fire considered it, and then nodded.
"Fine, whatever you say, Leaf. Go, Bulbasaur," he said as he threw the Poke Ball into the air, released the Pokemon, and then caught it in the same hand.
"I knew you'd see sense, Fire. Get out there;" she yelled as she threw the Poke Ball, releasing the Charmander, bouncing on the ground, before coming back to her and being poorly caught with both hands.
"Okay, Bulbasaur, let's use Tackle," Fire issued. Bulbasaur yelled its name as it charged at the other Pokemon. Charmander, however, had other ideas. It had decided that Leaf's leg was a good place to investigate. She was trying with all her might to get the Charmander to listen to her, but it was no use. The two of them were thrown backwards as the Tackle connected. They landed roughly near a signpost displaying the town's name and slogan. Leaf got up, rubbing the back of her head.
"What the hell were you playing at? I could've been seriously hurt from that," she yelled at them, then remember the Pokemon still attached to her leg. "As well as Charmander," she added hastily, seeing the tears that were coming to its eyes. Whether from the physical or emotional pain, she wasn't sure.
"Not my problem that your Charmander refuses to listen to you," Fire called back as his Bulbasaur walked back to him.
"And anyway, you could have stopped that Tackle whenever you wanted to," she yelled. Fire simply shrugged back.
"Last time I checked, the Official League rules state that the aim of a trainer battle is to faint all of the Pokemon on the opposing team. Doesn't say anything about stopping attacks in the middle of execution just because the opponent can't control her Pokemon," he called back. Fire and Water hi-fived each other at the comeback.
Leaf growled at the response. "You may have won this time, Fire, but the next time we meet, I'll get you back," she shouted as she recalled her Charmander and made a run for it. Fire punched his fist into the air, whilst Water simply crossed his arms.
"Are you sure that that was completely necessary? I mean, what's the Charmander going to think of her now?" Water asked.
"Yeah, it was necessary. If it gets her to shut up every once in a while, and actually think things through, then that's good progress all round," he responded. He looked down at the Bulbasaur in front of him, and bent his knees so that he was more eye-level with the Pokemon. "You did a very good job back there. When we get to Viridian City, I'll get you a treat, okay buddy," he said, patting its head at the same time. Bulbasaur gave a joyous yell of its name as it looked up at Fire.
(Note: if you're curious as to where I got the Cubone story from, it's from this fan fiction: .net/s/5968447/1/Pokedex_OneShots Check it out when you have a chance – the stories are very good.)