Chapter 1
A Strange Morning
"Alright, take it easy man"
"See ya Joe, thanks for the hide home"
"No prob man, see ya tomorrow"
I closed the door to the black Mazda Tribute and turned to walk for the door. The sound of the car passing behind me cut through the silence of the night. I opened the door quietly to my house and crept upstairs. My parents were asleep and I didn't really want to wake them.
I guess it's time for a little introduction. My name is Renton Eavers (pronounced ay-vers), I'm 19, and about to be going into my sophomore year of college. Its summer now, and I'm just enjoying my time back home. I 'd say I live a pretty average life, hang out with a close group of friends, go to concerts, smoke some weed, play some recreational sports (golf in particular), party a bit, play video games, and did I mention I like to smoke weed? Yea, I love weed. Now don't get me wrong, it's not like that's all I do. I don't understand the criticism of weed, if used appropriately it can be a fun, relaxing way to relieve stress. Anyway I'm getting off point.
For basically my whole life, video games have been my favorite pastime.
Nothing exciting ever happened to me. And for the most part I've lived a normal, monotonous life. I went to bed after getting home, ready to repeat the same cycle the next day. Little did I realize, I would never get the chance.
I woke up the next morning to sight of a bunked bed above me.
My bed doesn't have a bunk. In fact, there are no bunked beds in my house.
My mind immediately starting reeling. What was going on? Where am I? Am I dreaming?
"Ow!"
Nope, not dreaming. What the hell is going on? Was I kidnapped? That seems like the only logical answer. But who the fuck would kidnap me from my own bed? And why? In my state of alarm, my adrenaline started pumping. I was on high alert. I looked around the room. It was a pretty small, about the size of my freshman dorm. The walls were painted navy blue. There were some pokemon toys strewn about, and a small desk sat in the corner with a green rolling chair sitting in front of it. Next to the desk, on the wall opposite of me, was a closet with a hanging mirror on the door. There was a door on the wall adjacent to the closet. That must be the entrance. I looked at the clock on the nightstand next to the unfamiliar bed. 7:00AM. I cautiously crept toward the door to go meet my assailants. I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror as I passed by. I immediately did a double-take.
I was frozen in place. Not a single muscle twitched as I gaped straight at the impossible. Staring back at my unmoving gaze was a visage of my younger self.
I couldn't believe what I was seeing. This cannot be happening, it just can't be. It defies everything I know about everything.
"This is impossible" was the only thought I had.
The room started whirling, and my body became heavy. Bright spots began invading my eyesight. My heart began to pump faster and faster.
Bu-Bump
Bu-Bump
Bu-Bump
I was losing balance, and my breathing became labored. The room grew distorted around the mirror, as if focusing on the cold hard truth right before me. Time seemed to stop, and all I could hear was a deafening ringing that seemed to emanate from inside my head. I could feel myself falling toward the floor, but I was powerless to do anything. Then, darkness.
I woke up several minutes later to the sound of my name being called.
"Renton! Renton wake up, breakfast is ready!"
It sounded like my mother's voice, and for a split second I forgot why I was lying on the floor in the first place. However, my ignorance didn't last long. What transpired not ten minutes ago came flooding back, like a nightmare. I took a big gulp and closed my eyes. A slowly turned toward the mirror.
"I know this time".
I opened my eyes. The same child-me was still in the mirror. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly as I closed my eyes once more.
"Renton!"
No time to think of it now. I went downstairs at the behest of my mother's voice, as if by habit.
It was only when I reached the bottom step did I realize what I was walking in to. Who is this woman downstairs? She sure sounded like my mom, but who knows. What if I don't act normal and she gets suspicious?
"No I can't think of that, nothing I can do now but go get breakfast".
It was then I decided that whatever was happening, was real, and there didn't seem to be any going back. I just need to move forward. And so I did. I walked into the kitchen, anxious to find the owner of the familiar voice.
I immediately breathed a sigh of relief. My mother was standing in the unfamiliar kitchen, cooking eggs on the stove. She was acting completely normal, just cooking eggs. I guess to her it's just another morning.
"Here you go honey, I made you your favorite meal for you big day!" my mom said with a smiling face as she placed a veritable feast in front of me. A monstrous meal comprising of biscuits and gravy, sausage, hash browns, and bacon; all drowning in sausage gravy. On the plate next to it was a generous helping of scrambled eggs, drizzled with tobasco sauce. And to drink, a big glass of milk and equally large glass of apple juice.
I was so captivated by the meal, at first I didn't process what she said.
"Wait, did she say big day? Oh shit, I don't know what that is. What am I going to do?"
Great, ten seconds into this bullshit and I'm already panicking.
"U..umm, what's today?" I said halfheartedly.
"Oh great, that wasn't suspicious at all".
"Why it's your eleventh birthday silly! And you know what that means…" She said with a warm smile. Although I swore I could see a little pain in her eyes as she sad it.
"Great more guessing games"
"What's it mean?" I said in reply. I didn't know, no use acting like I did. "I'll just blame it on being tired."
She gawked at me, like I was some strange beast sitting at her kitchen table. I went to work on the biscuits and gravy to try and alleviate the awkwardness of the encounter.
"Are you sure you're feeling okay?" she asked inquisitively.
She must think I'm crazy by now, I needed to recover the situation.
"I got it!"
"I'm feeling great mom, I just want to hear you say it" I said with a sly smile. "God I hope that works"
My mom gave a small chuckle. "Oh you little rascal, today is the day I'm finally letting you start you're pokemon journey" She said happily as she continued cleaning the kitchen.
It took me a second to comprehend what she just said to me. This is a joke…it just had to be. Then again, thinking of my current situation I guess nothing is impossible.
"I already packed your bag with clothes and supplies, so hurry up and eat your breakfast, professor Hawthorn is waiting for you at his lab."
This is it. This is really happening. I was actually going to live out one of my biggest childhood dreams.
"All done!" I said excitedly. I simply couldn't believe this was really happening. I dashed upstairs to get changed. I was so excited, I actually felt like an eleven year old boy. I put on the clothes that were laid out for me. A pair of blue jeans (a little baggy), a plain white t-shit, a dark green and white zip-up jacket with short sleeves, and a green and white hat to match. I looked at my new outfit in the mirror, and I would have to admit, I looked pretty cool for an eleven year old rookie trainer.
I went back downstairs after getting changed and saw my mom standing by the door with a large black backpack.
"Here you go sweety, it's got everything you'll need in there." My mom said while handing me the backpack. "An extra pair of clothes, some lighter fluid for making campfires, a box of matches, a towel, dry and canned food, a pocket knife, and the sleeping bag goes on top of the backpack like this, there's also medical supplies, a toothbrush and dental floss…"
"Mom, mom, mom I get it, you packed everything I need. Thank you." While she was droning on, I knew she was just stalling for my impending departure.
"Oh honey, I'm going to miss you so much! Make sure to call me whenever you can, and above all, BE SAFE!" My mom pulled me into a tight hug, practically strangling me. "I love you honey, make sure to check in with me when you can"
"Ok mom, I will, I love you too."
After what felt like an eternity, I was finally freed from her grasp. After another goodbye, I finally walked out the door, taking my first steps on my new journey.
As I walked down the road toward professor Hawthorns lab, I had some time to reflect. Everything had just happened so fast. One minute, I was an average, pot-smoking college kid, next, I'm an eleven year old about to start my pokemon journey.
"A pokemon journey. MY pokemon journey"
The sound of it still made me giddy. I grew up on the pokemon games, and even as a young adult I still secretly wished to live in the pokemon world. Thanks to my experience with the games and the show, along with a maturity that surpasses my age, I knew I could be a great trainer. I HAD to be a great trainer. This whole world is new to me, and that alone gives me more motivation that other trainers cannot possibly have.
"I'm not going to let this opportunity pass me up. I'm not going to be some two-bit rookie trainer. I have more knowledge than most, and people won't see me as a threat with my age. I swear, I'll become a great…no LEGENDARY trainer."
Maybe I was a bit overconfident. Maybe I was taking this situation too well. Sure, I still had my mom here, but all my friends back home, what about them? It's not like I had much going on in my life before, but still, I should feel at least a little guilty for taking this in stride like I have. But then again, this is a paranormal occurrence. Not even in my wildest dreams would I ever believe this to be possible. I'll miss my friends, and my old life, but I think this is good. It will undoubtedly be a much more exciting and active life, that's for sure.
"Joe, Kyle, Monika, Neil, Pat, Gwen…and all my friends, I'll think about you, but I have to do this. No looking back. I'll become a great trainer that you guys would be proud of. For now though, I'm going to look forward, and explore this new world."
After that thought, I tried to clear my head and focus on this new exciting adventure. I looked around the town, and everything was so lively. Vendors and shops lined the cobblestone road, with people patroning little shops and restaurants. Everyone looked so happy, it was like it was straight out of the anime.
"Maybe I am in the anime…and that would basically make this world a paradise. It must be, I'm an 11 year old boy about to go on a grand adventure touring the region on my own. If this were a dangerous world, there would be no way this would be custom"
That thought gave me some peace of mind for the hardships to come. As I continued down the road, watching the townspeople go about their business, I began to think of what kind of team I would compose, and, more importantly, what starter Pokémon I should receive. These thoughts occupied my head until I came up to what I had been told was Professor Hawthorne's lab. I walked up to the front door and rang the bell. About ten seconds later, a stout, bearded man opened the door. He was about 5'7", slightly rotund, with short dark brown hair and full beard. He kind of reminded me of a teacher I had in high school.
"Ah, you must be Renton" He said, "please do come in, I have been expecting you". He ushered me into the door and down a hallway. He led me into a large room, and in the center were three poke balls.
"Ehh hem" Professor Hawthorn cleared his thought. "As you are now 11 years old, it is time you began your Pokémon journey. As you no doubt know, you will be given the choice between these three starter Pokémon. First, we have squirtle." As he said this, he released the first poke ball. I realized that this will be the first Pokemon I've ever seen, and to be honest, I was quite nervous. After the flash of light dissipated, and my fears were instantly relieved. In front of me was a cute turtle Pokémon. It would be impossible for me to describe, but it looked just like it would in the show. It just looked….normal? It wasn't some ugly, warped animal - it was just a squirtle.
"Next, there is the fire type, Charmander". Again, Professor Hawthorn released the poke ball and the fiery lizard emerged from that bright light that followed. "And finally, we have the grass type, Bulbasaur". He repeated the process again, and soon there were the tree starters standing in front of me.
"Choose wisely now, these pokemon will not only be your battling partner, but they will be your friend and travel companion." The professor said in a sage like tone.
"This will be the first major decision of my journey. I want to be strong. I want my pokemon to be strong. I have to choose wisely"
I got down to eye level with each pokemon. I looked at them, and they were all staring back at me. However, one of these pokemon got my attention. It was Charmander. While the other two were looking at me with cute smiles and wide eyes, Charmander was different. He was intense, with narrow eyes and a fierce demeanor. I went over, and kneeled on one leg right before him.
"Do you want to be strong" I asked.
"CHAR!" He squealed and affirmative squeal while nodding his head.
"It won't be easy, we are going to train hard, together, every day. I want to be the best. The best that ever was. Are you sure you're up for the challenge?" I asked again, even more intensely.
"CHAR CHAR!" It squealed again, flexing his right arm and grabbing his bicep with his left. He was the one, no doubt.
"I chose Charmander". I said curtly to the Professor.
"Great" He said while returning all three to their poke balls. "Here is his poke ball, and here is your pokedex".
He handed me the red and white orb, which felt heavy and strong, like a billiards ball. He also handed me a first generation pokedex. I used to have a toy of these as a kid, but now I have the real thing.
"The pokedex has many functions, and will be absolutely vital to your safety and journeying. Not only is it an encyclopedia of pokemon, but it will also serve as a GPS, a map, a communicator, an ID, a virtual wallet, and an emergency signal transmitter. Make sure you know how to use all of these functions. And remember to be safe. Here are 5 more poke balls. Once you have a team of six, pokemon you catch will be transported straight here. You can switch out you pokemon at a computer kiosk in every pokemon center across the region. Now, that's about it. Do you have any questions?"
"No sir, I would just like to start my journey". I said, I didn't want to waste another moment here.
"Right then, be careful out there" He said. And with that, I left the lab to start my very own adventure. One that would be filled with rewards and hardship, but I was ready. I was going to be the best. I was going to be a Pokemon Master.
"Just you wait, I'm going to take this world by storm".
