Episode 1: Let The Journey Begin!

Chapter 1: Neosap Town/Home

I sat at the kitchen counter, bouncing my leg impatiently as my mom made eggs on toast. I was understandably restless. Today was a big day! I didn't need breakfast, I needed to catch pokémon!

Just then, my stomach growled, reminding me that yes, I did need to catch pokémon, but I also needed to eat breakfast.

Alright, stomach, you win this round.

Meanwhile, mom had finished with the toast and eggs and had placed a serving of it in front of me, along with some orange juice. "Here you go, sweetie."

"Thanks, mom. It looks great!" I said, wolfing it down as quickly as I could. My mom wasn't the best cook in the world, but what she made wasn't toxic waste, so it was good enough for me.

"I just wish you hadn't screamed like that at eight in the morning on a Saturday," she said teasingly.

My mouth was too full of eggs for me to answer.

When I was finished with my meal, I set about stuffing my backpack with anything I could get my hands on. I was going to be gone for awhile. Entering the living room, I ticked off what I had already in my head:

A tent and sleeping bag (in case I couldn't find a Pokémon Center by nightfall)

Some assorted snacks

My laptop and charger

My phone and charger

My 3DS and charger (pokémon may have been real, but that didn't make the digital ones irrelevant! Plus, Animal Crossing was still fun)

Basic hygiene supplies (like I'd use them)

My meds (the future may be now thanks to science, but no one had found a cure for depression or anxiety yet...)

A pocket knife (I might be getting pokémon for protection, but you never know)

A notebook (for drawing and recording my adventure!)

Pajamas and a change of clothes

I thought that was everything, and yet something still felt missing...

My mom entered the room holding my wallet. "Forgetting this?"

I grabbed it and put it in my bag. "Thanks, mom," I said. How could I forget my wallet? I was going to put my Pokémon License in it, after all!

We walked over to the front door in the hallway. Mom was smiling, but in that Mom Way™ that mixes worry with pride.

"Be safe and have fun, okay?" she said, straightening my baseball cap.

"Don't worry, I'll have my pokémon to protect me!" I said, grinning.

She laughed. "I suppose you will!" she said, pecking me on the cheek and opening the door. "Now hurry before they're all gone. I love you!"

"I love you too!" I said, already stepping out into the new pokémon world that awaited me.