"Beep-beep! Beep-beep!" cried the alarm clock.

It was a warm summer morning, and the sun was flying across the sky, bathing the city of Inkopolis in a shower of light. A young Inkling boy with blue hair was sleeping in his bed, wearing a sleeveless black shirt and a pair of shorts, when he heard the alarm go off. He woke up to turn off the alarm and noticed that his appearance had changed. His skin was now peach-colored, and he had grown fingers and toes. That's when he realized what day it was. "It's my 14th birthday," he said, "which means my metamorphosis is complete! I have achieved humanoid form and can now turn into a squid and back!" Then he turned into a squid and flopped around for a few seconds before turning back into a kid. "NGYES!" the boy shouted as he jumped into the air. Then he heard his mother's voice coming from downstairs. "Hiro! Breakfast is ready!" she exclaimed. "Coming, Mom!" said Hiro as he went downstairs to eat breakfast.

When he got to the kitchen, Hiro saw that his mother had made him a stack of squid-shaped pancakes. "Here you go," she said as she handed him the pancakes. "Thanks, Mom!" said Hiro as he took his breakfast over to the table, where his father was reading the newspaper and drinking coffee. "Well, if it isn't the birthday boy!" he said as Hiro sat down to eat. Then he ruffled Hiro's hair in a playful manner. Hiro groaned in protest. "Dad, stop!" he cried. "I'm not a little kid anymore! I'm 14 now!" "That's right!" said his mother as she handed another stack of pancakes to her husband. "And you're not just a squid anymore, either! You're a kid now!" Hiro laughed for a while. "Good one, Mom!" he said as he went back to eating his pancakes. "Happy birthday, Hiro," said his mother as she went back into the kitchen to make some pancakes for herself.

Despite the interruptions, Hiro finished his breakfast in record time. "Man, I'm stuffed!" he said as he rubbed his stomach, which was now bulging and full of food. Then his father began discussing something very important with him. "So, now that you're 14," he said, "you're now old enough to play Turf War." Hiro's eyes lit up when he heard the words. Turf War was the most popular sport in Inkopolis, which all Inklings start playing after they turn 14 and gain their shapeshifting abilities. "Which reminds me," said Hiro's father as he handed him a box covered in squid-patterned wrapping paper with a blue bow on top. "We thought it would be a good idea to give you your birthday presents now, since you're going to need them later." Hiro opened the present and found a white headband with a large gray stripe in the middle and a yellow T-shirt with a starfish pin on the front. "Wow!" he exclaimed. "It's a White Headband! And a Basic Tee!" "There's more where that came from," his mother said as she handed him another present, which contained a new pair of shoes. "Sweet!" said Hiro. "A pair of Cream Basics!" He gave his mother a hug and said "Thank you", then did the same for his father. Then his mother said, "Why don't you go get dressed, okay?" Hiro said "Okay", and then went upstairs to his room. He put on a pair of socks, the Basic Tee, the White Headband, and the Cream Basics. Then he picked up his scrunchie and tied back his hair in a ponytail, then went back downstairs. "That outfit looks great on you!" his mother exclaimed. "Thanks, Mom!" said Hiro. Then his father said, "Hold on. We have one more present for you." Then he handed Hiro a third present, which was a different shape than the first two. When Hiro opened the present, his eyes grew wide. "No way!" he cried. "It's a Splattershot Jr.!" "Standard issue for new players," said his father. "I bought it just for you." Then he gave Hiro a backpack-like tank, some pyramid-shaped explosives, and a portable force-field generator. He said, "It comes with an Ink Tank, a set of Splat Bombs, and a Bubbler." Hiro put the Ink Tank on his back, and it instantly filled up with blue ink. The Splattershot Jr. and the Splat Bombs filled up with blue ink as well. Then Hiro put the Splat Bombs and the Bubbler into some sort of pocket dimension. "Thanks, Dad!" he said as he gave his father a big hug. "You're welcome, Hiro," said his father. "Now head over to the Training Area. That's where Inklings learn to play Turf War on the way to Inkopolis Plaza." "Okay," said Hiro. Then he picked up the Splattershot Jr. and headed for the door. "Bye, Hiro!" his mother said before giving him a smooch on his forehead. "Bye, Mom! Bye, Dad!" he exclaimed as he walked out the door and set off for the Training Area.