This is my first story, so be wary of mistakes.

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Enjoy.

I looked down at the wide eyes staring up at me expectantly. What was I to do? This young girl (probably no more than ten) was asking to hear my life story. Was I just supposed to pour my heart out to her? I didn't want to seem rude, but my past wasn't something I willingly talked about to, well, anybody.

"Well?" she asked. I definitely couldn't just turn her down. I was mature and should be able to handle the situation. But it was still my past.

"Alright, alright," I responded. "Just let me think of where to start." Why was this girl even asking in the first place? Was she genuinely interested? Or was she just snooping? Either way, I decided to give her the (heavily) sugarcoated version. I definitely didn't need a ten year old running around with my deepest secrets.

I began with the day I turned ten. It was the day I became an official trainer. As the words started to flow, I couldn't help but remember all that had happened to me up to that point. It came rushing back in a wave of remembrance.

I woke up early that morning and pounded my alarm clock. It was the day that I had been waiting for. My trainer's license would finally be mine!

Rolling out of bed, I quickly rubbed the tiredness out of my eyes. I walked over to my closet and began to search through the clothing. My outfit was never something I fussed over, but this was a special occasion. I decided on a nice pair of jeans, a maroon shirt, and my favorite black jacket. That was something I almost never went without.

The mirror showed a young boy with confidence. I quickly used my fingers as a comb to fix my jet black hair. There hadn't been time for a shower (in my opinion). I frowned at the light streak that stood out in my bangs. It had been there for as long as I could remember. That being said, I also hated it for as long as I could remember. People always teased me, suggesting I was graying early. My jacket was still far too big for me. It had been my father's back when he was a trainer. My slim body didn't fill it out very well. Luckily, I had plenty of growing ahead.

After deciding on the outfit, I rushed downstairs. If I knew my parents well enough, they would already be waiting for me. I hurried toward the living room only to be stopped by a firm hand.

"Slow down there, bud!" I looked up at the brown eyes staring at me behind the glasses. My father was smiling down. "There's no need to rush!" I caught my breath and allowed him to lead me into the room.

My mother was sitting on the couch smiling. Her brown hair was resting on her shoulders. I immediately rushed over to her. My excitement was difficult to contain.

"Calm down!" she said with a laugh. "You don't want to jump out of your skin!" It didn't stop me. Nothing short of an apocalypse could at that point.

"Can we go now?" I asked excitedly. I realized that I actually was jumping in anticipation. That was the least of my worries.

"Alright!" My father finally gave in. A smile rapidly grew on my face. I was beaming with excitement. "Just let your mother and I get ready." My smile slightly faded. I knew all too well how long it took for my parents to get ready for anything.

I took my eagerness to the front door and did my best to wait. My parents seemed to be taking their sweet time tying their shoes. I was ready to burst. This was not a day for waiting! They eventually finished and began to walk to the coat closet. They hardly had the chance to grab their jackets before I dragged them outside.

It was a cool autumn day in Mahogany Town. A breeze was blowing in off the lake. The trees were already a collage of colors. I took a deep breath and ran to the car. I was so close.

Mahogany was not a big town. It was actually one of the smallest in Johto (second to New Bark), so the drive to the Pokémon Center was only a short five minutes. It was the longest five minutes of my life.

We finally arrived at the Center after what felt like an eternity. My insides were just about to pop with excitement. Have I mentioned how excited I was? I burst through the doors with all the confidence in the world. My arms were spread happily, and a smile flooded my beaming face. It soon faded with the stares I received from the trainers.

They looked at me like I was some strange creature from an unknown world. It didn't feel good to say the least. I quickly controlled myself and sulked over to the front desk. My face had to have been red with embarrassment. I just kept telling myself that it would all be worth it when I became the greatest trainer to walk the earth. Those people will have wished they knew me.

At the front desk, I was met by the cheery pink-haired woman behind it. She smiled happily and my embarrassment began to fade. Back to the mission at hand.

"Why hello there, sweetie," the nurse chirped. Her voice was comforting. "How can I help you today?" I then realized just how nervous I was. By that I mean I suddenly had a loss for words. She laughed at my expense and my face turned red once again. "I have a good guess at what you're here for." Her smile made the situation a little better.

"Sorry, Joy." I was saved any more awkwardness when my father came up beside me. He could do all the talking. "We're here to get our little buddy his trainer's license." And the attention was back to me.

"I figured as much." At least she wasn't speaking directly to me anymore. "You'll just have to fill out a little paperwork." I let out a little groan. More waiting. She pulled a thin packet out from under the desk and handed it to my father with a pen. He began working on it while I stood there. I suddenly found myself falling into a daydream.

I imagined myself with a Dragonite by my side. We roamed Johto and took down any trainer that dared to challenge us. We were unstoppable. The Champions from all regions bowed as I was granted the title of Supreme Trainer. All others paled in comparison. I didn't feel the foolish smile that overtook my face. That was quickly erased when I realized my father was calling for me.

"Get over here!" he said happily. "And you were rushing us!" He laughed as I scurried over. I was told to sit still while my picture was taken. Joy smiled back and waited while a printer whirred behind the desk. I heard a ding. She grabbed the freshly made card and handed it to me.

I stared at it in awe at the small piece of plastic that I had waited oh so long for. No words could express what I was feeling. At that moment, one thing was certain: I was an official Pokémon trainer. I scanned the card hastily. My picture was on the left side showing my attempt at a serious face. I did want to be great after all. The top had the words "Trainer I.D." printed across. The right side showed my name, height, eye color, and hometown.

On the back side of the card, I found a blank line. I looked at Nurse Joy in confusion.

"What is this?" I asked curiously. A pang of worry struck as I thought we had forgotten something. I couldn't bear the thought of having to give my newly acquired status back.

"Oh, that's for when you turn fourteen," she replied happily. "That will be where your signature goes. It shows that you are officially able to participate in the Gym Circuit and travel the region without parental consent." I nodded as I remembered the rules. They had been modified after too many young trainers fell into danger. It wasn't favorable with those under the age limit at the time, but it was for the best.

"Thank you for your time." My mother's voice broke me out of my slight trance. She was talking to Joy. "We must be heading home now for one more surprise." I looked up from my I.D. card quickly. I had forgotten about that surprise.

I sprinted toward the front door, leaving my parents and a startled Nurse Joy behind. It didn't matter at that point. All I cared about was getting to see my starter Pokémon.

Nothing could keep me from getting back to my house. The ride home went rather quickly as I was lost imagining about what starter I could possibly get. So many options ran through my mind. Most of them favored the powerful, intimidating factor. I couldn't hide an excited giggle at the possibility of receiving a dragon.

The sound of tires on the gravel driveway was enough to stop my dreaming. I didn't even notice the look my parents gave each other as I bolted inside.

The ride was quick, but waiting for my Pokémon was excruciating. My parents definitely weren't ones for speed. They eventually walked into the living room with smiles that seemed a little forced. That didn't faze me as much as it should have.

"Now, son," my father began. "We should warn you–"

"Just give me my Pokémon!" I interrupted. My excitement was overflowing at that point. I had waited long enough. I wanted to see my starter.

My father pulled a Pokéball out from behind his back and set it in my eager hands. It was finally time to see who my first partner on my epic journey would be.

I quickly tossed the ball to the ground. It burst open with a bright white light. I covered my eyes with my arm until it faded. I held the position to increase the suspense. As soon as I pulled away my shield, my excitement went out the window. I stared in disbelief at the writhing orange creature flopping on the floor. Its tail was flailing weakly. Its face was locked in a blank, dumb-looking stare. My starter, the Pokémon that would begin my journey to stardom, was a weak, worthless Magikarp.

My parents looked at me with false excitement. That was quickly corrected with the glare I shot. They took on looks of pity.

A long moment of silence filled the room. I was at a loss for words, and the two responsible for this travesty didn't dare say anything. We just stood there. It was my anger that finally led me to speak up.

"Are you serious?" I couldn't keep the utter disappointment out of my voice. "You got me a Magikarp?" My tone was rapidly gaining venom. I was (for lack of a better term) pissed.

"Sweetie," my mother started. She didn't get far.

"How could you do this?!" I was practically yelling. "This is my first Pokémon! The one that I am supposed to start my grand adventure with! How am I going to get anywhere with a Magikarp?!" My mother stepped back, appalled. Her sweet, little boy was turning on her with a wrath. "A starter is supposed to be something you can rely on! It's not supposed to be a Skitty's meal! This thing couldn't take down a blind Caterpie!"

"Now, son, listen up!" My father stepped up to the plate with a stern tone. My enraged façade faltered. "We aren't exactly rich here! We live in a small town and have managed to get by on what money we have. I'm sorry we couldn't get you anything strong. It's just not within our means! I would expect you to know this. We didn't raise you to be greedy. Now be happy we actually allowed you to even become a trainer and accept your starter!" It was my turn to step back. "This is the best we can do. You have four years to train up before joining the Gym Circuit. There's no need to get ahead of yourself."

What could I say? As much as I hated to admit it, my father had a point. We weren't that well off. It was the whole reason we had to move from Olivine to come here. It just hurt a little to think that I had to cope with having the most worthless Pokémon in the world as my first. All I could muster was a frown.

"It's not all that bad." My mother spoke up again. "This little guy is already a level fifteen! He knows tackle!" As much as she was trying, I wasn't cheering up much.

"Oh, that reminds me." My father reached into his pocket and pulled out a stone with a string attached. I would later figure out it was an Everstone. He reached down and tied it to my Magikarp's tail. I only cocked my head in curiosity. "This is just a little gift. It's more for looks." He was lucky I was oblivious to what he was doing. It wouldn't have helped my rage.

"I have an idea!" my mother exclaimed. "How 'bout you name him!" I perked up a little bit. I could finally do something with my situation.

I knelt down next to the flopping fish. It looked incredibly pathetic. He was wriggling in protest to being on land. His eyes were wide and dumb-looking. No part of him looked threatening in the least. I let out a long sigh as he let out a cry. It didn't help his cause. My mind was instantly filled with possible names to match his stupidity.

Maybe he could be a Ditz. I snickered a little. No. Maybe a Brainless? No. Flailer? No. I went back and forth like until a new idea struck. Maybe he just needs motivation to be great. It was a long shot, but maybe all this fish needed was a name to match my expectations. I thought long and hard about what name could induce greatness and power. He was a water type. I decided on a water-related name. Tidal? Nah. Tsunami? Too long. Whirlpool? No. Typhoon? Then it stuck. Yeah that sounds good. The mighty Typhoon! Perfect.

"I've got it," I said. A small snicker came out once I realized the irony. "He's Typhoon." My parents were confused. "His name is Typhoon." They understood and decided to go along with it. No need for another tantrum.

"That's…nice," my mother responded. Her skepticism didn't bug me. I had named my starter. To avoid anymore awkwardness, she pulled another Pokéball from behind her back. My heart jumped a bit. It obviously showed. "Now don't get too excited. This one is empty." My sudden surge of hope fell. "Don't be too sad. This is for you to catch another teammate. It's a lot cheaper than buying one."

I took the ball and examined it. It was better than nothing. At least I could control what Pokémon I received next. That was a relief.

"But wait, there's more!" my father said, teasingly. He handed me a black knapsack-like bag. "This is to carry all of your trainer stuff in." I searched through it. There was nothing inside except for a red, notebook-like thing. I pulled it out and flipped it open. There was a screen inside that lit up.

"That's your PokéDex," my mother clarified. "It is the most recent version, so it contains information on all Pokémon discovered." I held it over Typhoon. The screen showed a picture of a Magikarp along with all the info about it I could want. I closed the Dex and put it back in the bag. Typhoon was staring up at me with his blank eyes. I reached down and reluctantly pet him. It just sent him into a flopping fit.

"Maybe you two should go upstairs and get to know each other," my father suggested. I didn't see the point since the fish seemed oblivious to, well, everything, but I agreed nonetheless. I picked up Typhoon and carried him to my room.

Once we had our privacy, I set him down and observed. He only flopped more and let out his cry. It was rather pathetic seeing a weak water Pokémon on land. That put a thought into my head. I hurried back downstairs.

My destination was the kitchen. I grabbed a large, empty tub and began filling it with water. My father walked in and looked on with curiosity.

"Ty needs water," I explained. Shortening his name to Ty seemed right.

"Well I'll help you carry this upstairs then." I sighed in relief at his support. He lugged the tub up to my room with limited spills. Ty was waiting right where I left him. No surprises there.

I picked him up and placed him in the water. Despite the previous blank looks he gave, he actually seemed happy. That was confirmed with a leap that succeeded in soaking me and chasing my father out.

Ty poked his head up and locked eyes with me. For a moment, I felt a connection with him. At that moment, I decided to go through with it. I was going to become a legend and that ridiculous excuse for a Pokémon was going to help. I didn't care if it took an eternity. My dream was going to be fulfilled. Nothing was going to stop me.

Oh how naïve I was.