April 1, 1972
It was a bright morning when ten-year-old Otto Ketchum of Pallet Town awoke from his slumber. Today was the day that he would receive his starter Pokemon. He had been up all night weighing out the pros and cons of having the grass type Pokemon Bulbasaur, the fire type Pokemon Charmander, and the water type Pokemon Squirtle. He fell asleep late at night before he could fully decide. He rubbed his eyes and looked at the clock.
"Oh no! How did I oversleep with the alarm on?"
Otto ran all the way to the lab in his pajamas. When he got there, there was a twenty-six-year-old man with long brown hair to greet him. He would be twenty-seven in September. He wore a white lab coat. The man's eyes widened when he saw the boy.
"Ketchum?" he said.
"That's right. Otto Ketchum. How did you know my name?"
"Uh, it's a small town. Names get around. My name is Samuel Oak. I would say that you were here for your starter Pokemon, but you look more ready to sleep like a Snorlax."
"Are you the professor?"
"No. I am not a professor. Not yet. My mentor Professor Redwood has been training me."
A fifty-five-year-old man with a white beard and white hair appeared in the doorway.
"Ah. You must be a new trainer. Professor Franklin Redwood is my name. You are a bit late."
"Please tell me that there is a Pokemon left for me!"
"You are in luck. There is one. I just hope that it is the one you want."
"At this point, I would like to have any Pokemon that I can get."
The professor and his apprentice led Otto to the Pokeball that contained his Pokemon. He picked it up, pressed the button, and unleashed a Charmander.
"Char, char," the orange lizard with a flame on its tail said.
"Cool!" Otto said.
"Or in this case, hot," Oak said.
"I should give you a nickname. I will call you...Ash! That will work. After all, ashes are caused by fire."
"Correct!" Redwood said. "Here are your five Pokeballs. And here is your Pokedex."
Otto took them from the professor's hand. Just then, a five-year-old boy walked in. He was short and had brown hair.
"My name is Trey Oak! I will be six in June! Four years from now, I will be a Pokemon trainer! And I will defeat you!"
"Since your birthday is after April 1st, doesn't that mean you will have to wait five years to be a Pokemon trainer?"
"That's right," the boy's father said.
"Five years! That's too long!"
"Time will pass before you know it," his father assured him. "Believe me."
"Thank you, Professor Redwood," Otto said. "I cannot wait to catch them all!"
