PROLOGUE: And On That Farm He Had A Miltank

Soaring in the bright sky, I can see the city laid out like a map below me. Freedom - this is what it feels like! But then, I am violently pulled to the surface. I feel the ground shake as if there are explosions all around me and I look to my feet and see an expanding pool of red. It's getting larger and larger as it begins to swirl into a vortex that pulls me under. I can feel myself being swallowed and can hear a woman's scream and a man's maniacal laughter as I reach to the black sky for help.

Silence.

Then, a lone pokemon flutters down, unaffected by the vortex; its eyes cleverly darkened by its feathers to look larger. It stops and tilts its head as if confused when suddenly it leans right into my face and screams:

'Hoothoot! Hoothoot! Hoothoot!'

The bell that accompanied the hooting goes right through me. Each chime feeling like someone is playing my brain like a drum kit - badly.

My alarm clock - the one thing I hate the most. Pokemon – the one thing I love the most.

Pokemon farming on the other hand was what I had to make do with, and I remembered all too well that that was the case as I blindly swung my arm onto my bedside table, looking for that clock.

That bloody clock that drags me out of the world where I can fly on the back of a mythical dragon with the wind in my hair, dive into the depths of the deepest ocean or battle my fiercest foes and drag me out into… this – the life of a farm boy.

The monotony of doing the same old routine every day for seventeen years really took its toll; get up, milk the Miltank, feed the Mareep, comb the Flaafy, water the crops, put all the pokemon back and then off to bed again. I'd ask my mum if I could go travelling someday and her response was always the same seven words, "No. We need you on the farm". But I knew for a fact that she didn't need me there; she just wanted me there.

Growing up I'd always watch as pokemon trainers ventured out of Mount Moon and headed past the farm for Cerulean City. I was so envious that I'd even tried to run away with a Miltank once to challenge the Cerulean City Gym leader, but I realised on the way that I had no control over the Miltank whatsoever so I hastily ran home - my mum being none the wiser.

I just wanted an excuse to get away from it all.

I tried to push these thoughts out of my mind as I got up because, after all, I was a farmer – that was my life. So I groggily put on my glasses, denim farming gear and headed down the creaky staircase into the living room. Looking over to the kitchen I could see the remnants of one of my dad's attempts at a fried breakfast and immediately turned my nose up at the prospect of a meal, opting to head out and start work instead.

As soon as I stepped out the door all I could see was a brown blanket of Spearow covering the crop field. My heart filled with dread wondering how long they'd been there as I ran towards the birds waving my arms shouting "Get away! Go on!" The Spearow frantically took off in all different directions and I had to shield my eyes to stop them flying into them.

Thankfully they hadn't chewed much of the crop – It was bad enough that the Cerulean Cave on the other side of the hill collapsed the year before destroying most of our crops and the scarecrow, we couldn't afford another disaster.

I spent most of the morning clearing up the damage while my dad kept an eye on the Miltank, glancing over every so often to check on my progress. They always kept a close eye on me; Mum and Dad were never too far away which everyone said was because I was 'the baby' of the family but I didn't buy it. I just thought they wanted to keep me at the farm so I could keep it going when they were old and decrepit.

"Alex!" My mum suddenly shouted out to me from the cabin, holding up a pile of post in her hand. "You've got a letter from Felina!"

'What could she want?'I thought to myself as I returned to the house.

My big sister; the famous Professor Ivy of the Orange Islands. The pride and Joy of the family – I could never live up to her; always hearing, 'You should be more like Felina' from my Dad.

Felina hated her name, she would never let anyone call her it (apart from Mum who was adamant that it was a pretty name) so everyone just used our surname – it suited her. Well… better than Felina anyway.

"Open it, open it, open it!" My mum said, practically giddy.I tore open the envelope addressed to me and read the letter aloud:

'Dear Alex, Mum and Dad

I'm doing fine here on Valencia, it's just been very busy at the minute so I haven't had time to write, sorry about that. I'm conducting some important research at the moment on the physiological development of a certain pokemon and I have something that I need you to look after. I had it delivered to the Pokemart in Pewter City and I told them that Alex is going to pick it up, hope that's okay. How is everyone at home? You better not have re-decorated my old room again!

Love,

I'

"That's it." I said quite hastily. "I best go get packing then."

"That was an odd letter, even for Felina." Mum remarked with a peculiar look on her face. "-But if you're going then make sure you take clean pants and socks!"

"I will mum!" I said running up the stairs.

Unbeknownst to her there was more to the letter. Felina knew that our parents would never open our mail and so at the bottom it read:

'Ps: Alex – pack for more than a hike to Pewter City.'

Filled with excitement I crammed as much as I could into a small bag so as not to arouse suspicion – not forgetting the essentials like my Poketch and map, before getting changed out of my work gear. I put on my comfiest pair or trainers, my new chinos and my green and white jacket on top of my long-sleeved yellow top, finished off with my favourite green scarf.

When I went back downstairs, Dad was sat on his chair resting his back and I gave him a quick hug goodbye and then opened the front door, looking out to the dirt path that lead up to Mount Moon. It was going to be weird travelling somewhere on my own for a change, not having someone watching every little move I made. As I stood in the doorframe and my mum came up behind me and embraced me tightly but somehow gently at the same time, simply whispering in my ear, "Be careful out there."

I reassured her that I would and said "See you in a few days." Knowing that it was probably an outright lie. It was at this moment that my excitement turned to sadness, almost guilt that I'd be leaving her for so long when she thinks I'd be gone for just a few days. So I returned her hug and took it all in until I was ready to go.

"Bye mum." I said as I walked out the door and strolled onto the path, determined to not look back as I knew she'd be standing there.

"Next stop: Pewter City." I said to myself, leaving a trail of dust in my wake.

"It's not an adventure – but it's a start."