The sun was shining upon Pallet Town. The inhabitants of the quiet settlement were going throughout their daily routine like normal. Brushing their teeth, showering, eating breakfast, the usual sort of thing. However, there were a few people in Pallet who were getting ready for a very special day. One of them was Ash Ketchum. Ash, or Red as he preferred to be called, was going throughout the day with much more haste than normal. The reason for this was simple. Since the day he could walk, he had dreamed of becoming a Pokemon Trainer. Now, at thirteen years old, he could finally start his journey and begin getting closer to his dream.
But he wouldn't be going at it alone. He would be taking the first steps with two of his childhood friends. The first was Gary Oak, or Blue as he was known to his friends. The grandson of esteemed researcher and scientist Samuel Oak, Blue had been learning about Pokemon since he was in diapers. While he could be arrogant and condescending to those around him, he was a good person at heart and Red knew that Blue would always be there for his friends and family in dire situations.
The third member of their group was Leaf Greene, or Green as she was called by others. She had actually been the one to come up with the color names for the group, saying that since her last name was based on a color, the other two needed color names. After that, they had started calling her Green instead of Leaf, and it had stuck. She was probably the most level headed of the trio and often played peacemaker to the boys, but she could definitely be aggressive and harsh with other people if she needed to. The three of them had been best friends since childhood, and now that they would all receive their first Pokemon and get to see the world with each other, they were all extremely excited.
As Red started getting dressed for the special day, he started thinking about the three Pokemon that would be given out. Each member of the trio already knew which one they wanted, and there had been no conflicts over who would get what Pokemon.
Red had set his eyes on a Charmander. Though they started off mellow, they became more aggressive once they evolved into Charmeleon. But even that paled in comparison to what they were like once they became Charizard. The final member of the line was infamous for their aggressive, prideful, and violent natures. There were multiple instances of Charizard disobeying and abandoning their trainers, even if they had been together since Charizard was a Charmander. There had even been a few instances of a Charizard killing their trainer. But even with all the difficulty that came with working with it, if one could earn the respect of a Charizard, they would have a fearsome, powerful Pokemon on their side. The species possessed great speed and attacking power, with diverse movepools to combat their weaknesses. Red dreamed of one day having a Charizard standing beside him as his greatest partner, conquering all that opposed him. But he knew that it would take work to get to that point. Baby steps, his mother had always told him.
As he finished getting dressed, he went downstairs to eat breakfast and talk to his mother. He saw her at the stove, plating breakfast. He got a glass of milk and sat at the table. His mother brought the plates to the table and smiled as Red began to eat at a very fast pace. She then spoke up. "So, are you ready to go on your adventure?" Red just nodded and smiled at her. He had never been the most talkative person. His mother continued, "I already got all your supplies together, so you should be good to go. Make sure you call whenever you get to a new city, alright. Life on the road can be dangerous and that would really help me feel more comfortable." Red nodded and continued eating. His mother chuckled. "Slow down there. You still have some time before you need to be at the lab. I don't think you want to start the day off by choking on your food." Red took his mother's advice and started eating at a normal speed. Soon he finished, and he got up to make the walk to Oak's lab. In his new clothes and with his backpack, he really felt like a trainer. He had white and red shoes, jeans, a black shirt, and a white and red vest. The only thing missing was the Pokemon.
And he was about to obtain the final piece.
As Gary Oak, or Blue as he was known, got out of bed, he couldn't help but smile as he remembered what day it was. He would finally get his first Pokemon and set off into the world. And he would be doing it along with his two closest friends. Blue was a boy with great talent and even greater ambition. As the grandson of the most renowned Pokemon researcher of modern times, he already had a lot of knowledge about the Pokemon of Kanto and the neighboring Johto region, and he even knew a little about those of far off regions like Hoenn and Sinnoh. He wished to visit those regions one day and learn more about their culture and Pokemon.
Unlike most boys his age, Blue didn't dream of becoming the greatest trainer to ever live. He was much more interested in the scientific aspects of the creatures called Pokemon. His grandfather was considered the greatest researcher of modern times, and both of Blue's parents had also been scientists. His older sister, Daisy, had traveled in Hoenn and Sinnoh and had become a world famous Pokemon Coordinator, but Blue knew that he would never do something like that. It focused more on showing the beauty and grace of Pokemon, and although he didn't want to make it the main part of his lifelong career, Blue much preferred battling to coordinating. He knew that he would have to train his Pokemon and battle with them, but he didn't want to do something like being a Gym Leader where battling would be the main part. Blue wished to uncover the mysteries of the world. And he hoped that the Squirtle he would receive would help him do that.
Squirtle were known for their defensive attributes. They possessed a hard shell that would only strengthen as they grew. While they could be arrogant and not take things very seriously, particularly in their middle evolutionary stage Wartortle, they could become powerful, sturdy battlers. And while their offense could be lacking in their first two stages, their final form Blastoise could hit very hard if well trained. Blastoise possessed two cannons that they used as their main method of attack, shooting out powerful blasts of water that could punch through solid steel. They also improved on the already high defenses of their previous evolutions. A properly trained Blastoise would be a force to be reckoned with for any trainer.
But being who he was, Blue wasn't drawn to the Squirtle line for its strength in battle. No, he wanted to study its ancestry and evolution throughout history. And not evolution like when a Pokemon grows to its next stage and becomes stronger, evolution like how it changed throughout the times. The most commonly accepted theory was that it had descended from the Tirtouga line, water and rock types that lived in ancient times. While they had been fierce predators, their shells had also been very heavy. While they eventually developed a way to lighten it, it also left them more vulnerable to their predators, and they went extinct. Many scientists, Blue and his grandfather included, believed that the Squirtle line had developed so that they could avoid what led to the extinction of Tirtouga and Carracosta. Their shells were very tough, but they could still move easily, especially once they had mastered the Rapid Spin technique. It was also believed that they had developed their cannons to better help defend themselves, though why they weren't actually able to be used until they had become Blastoise was still being debated. Finally, it was believed that they had shed their rock typing and become pure water type in order to be able to better defend themselves from grass and fighting types. It also helped against ground types, since the rock type of Tirtouga and Carracosta helped even out the odds against something they should have been strong against.
Awakening himself from his ponderings, Blue walked downstairs and out the house with only a curt nod towards his sister. Daisy rolled her eyes but smiled fondly. He's so focused on getting his Pokemon he'll just go straight out the house without even getting something to eat. Oh well. I guess that some things just never change.
With his combat boots, black pants, and long sleeved purple shirt, Blue felt like a real trainer. He would come back for his supplies after he got his Pokemon. As he walked to his grandfather's lab, he allowed his mind to wander to the other two members of the trio. He wondered how they were feeling about today. He knew he was ready to set out into the world of Kanto with his two best friends. He was looking forward to it.
And he would bet his bottom dollar that they felt the exact same way.
As Leaf Greene, or Green as she was known, got dressed for the upcoming day, she broke into a wide grin. She would finally get her first Pokemon. She would finally start her journey. And she would be doing it with her best friends. Green already knew what Pokemon she would choose. She had her eyes set on Bulbasaur.
The Bulbasaur line was known for their mastery of status moves. With access to moves like Toxic, Leech Seed, and Sleep Powder, they were very tricky to face and a head on confrontation with them would most likely end in their victory. But they weren't slouches on the offensive side of things. Their powerful vines were sure to put the hurt on anything hit by them, and they also possessed very powerful energy attacks like Solarbeam. They were also regarded as the easiest to raise of Kanto's starter trio, since they grew faster than Charmander and Squirtle and their temperaments were also easier to work with than the other two. They could be incredibly aggressive if they were put in danger, but they were normally rather mellow and calm. But Green had another reason for picking Bulbasaur other than that they were easy to raise.
She idolized Erika Shimizu, the grass type gym leader of the Kanto region. She was graceful and beautiful both on and off the battlefield, but when battling, she possessed an intensity that perfectly complimented her. She also had a best selling perfume line and was known for her teachings on ikebana, the art of flower arrangement. Green had been Erika's biggest fan since she was seven, and six years later, she was going to set off on her own journey. One of her biggest goals was to beat Erika in battle, but she knew she was a long way off from being able to do that. She would start small, but she knew that she wouldn't stop until she surpassed her idol and biggest inspiration. It would take some hard work, but she knew she would be able to do it.
Green went downstairs, talked to her parents, and ate breakfast. They made sure she had everything she needed. Before she went out the door, her mother embraced her in a hug. "We're so proud of you, Green. We know that whatever you set your mind to, you can do it with your Pokemon. Just remember that." Her father still sat at the table, but he did look up to give her a rare smile. Green smiled back, and walked out the door and to Oak's lab.
Soon, all three teens met at the front door to the lab. They all looked at each other silently. Even though no words were exchanged, they all understood perfectly. One thought went through all three minds. It's time.
And together, Red, Blue, and Green all walked into Professor Oak's lab.