"I'm sixteen, Mom."
"I know, sweety, but..."
"I can vote, have a job, and start training."
"I know dear, it's just so dangerous out there."
I sighed and returned to playing with my peas. We both knew I was going, there was no question about that. Still, I was hoping my mom would buy me my first Pokémon. She saw that advantage as a way of keeping me here.
I'd tried, with no luck, to apply for one of the Kanto starters. There was a ton of paper work and in the end only three new fifteen-year-old Kanto-born trainers got to choose between a Bulbasaur, Charmander or Squirtle. They were all rare Pokémon, and only given out to three trainers every six months.
I wasn't going to wait and try again.
I knew which one I wanted, but even so what if I got to the lab and my oh-so desired Charmander wasn't there anymore.
"I guess I'll just have to find one myself then."
Mom smiled at me kindly. Well, it looked kind enough but I could see that victorious look in her eyes. That's okay; I had my Plan B anyways.
That evening I sat in the backyard, waiting. It was a warm, spring evening in the suburbs of Saffron City. Unknown to my mom my Pokédex and six Pokéballs had arrived this morning.
Time for me to catch my first Pokémon.
I knew which one, too. A month ago a group of Murkrow had lay waste to a number of gardens in the area. A removal team had come in and taken away most, probably putting then in the Safari Zone, but one got away. The problem was it only seemed to like our yard. It also went out of its way to harass me in particular. Some nights it would peck at my window or caw loudly outside it. It had dive bombed me more then once and would steal anything of mine left unattended. Mom didn't notice it to much; it left both her and the garden alone. I was pretty sure she thought me paranoid. I was also quite sure that was the Murkrow that I'd got square in the face with a rock during one of the flock's first raids.
So I sat, waiting for the little pest.
"Dark-types, they're trouble to say the least," so read one of my many Pokémon books. It also went on to say how beginner trainers should stay well away from them, as they are hard to handle. But this was just a bird, not some toothy Mightyena or clawed and quick Sneasel. It was like a black Pidgey, which lots of people could handle.
"Krow, murkrow."
I looked up to see the little bugger pulling at an old wallet of mine that I'd tied to my back porch. I don't know how it noticed me but one second it was yanking the bait, the next it was flying directly at the bush I was hiding in.
"YOU WANT A PIECE OF ME!" I through a rock and held up my stick in defense.
"Krow!" It called back as it easily dodged the rock. Then it seemed to be everywhere, scratching and pecking my head and arms. I swung my wooden weapon wildly but couldn't seem to land a hit.
"You. Will. Not. WIN!" I backed every word with a swing and finally felt a hit. The bird was thrown back and landed with a thud on the ground. "Sick!" I enlarged a Pokéball and threw it at the Murkrow.
Then things got scary.
With a flap and a push off the ground the bird spun at the Pokéball, breaking it, then nearly hitting me with the attack. I knew that attack; Drill Peck. I also knew that wild Murkrow rarely came with that attack. The worst I'd expected was a Wing Attack or a Night Shade maybe, but generally you had to specifically breed the species to get it to learn Drill Peck. So then, what else did this bird know? What level was it? Did it belong to someone already? Curses.
Wait, where did it go?
I looked around. No cawing, no flapping, no mass of feathers, beak, or claws in my face.
It was just gone.
And yet, somehow I knew it wasn't.
With my mighty stick held high above my head I started slowly spinning on the spot. It was getting darker now, which meant more shadows. Then the flapping was back. I spun on my toes just in time to get a Feather Dance in the face. The black feathers seemed to cling to me and weaken my motions. And then there was the Murkrow again, now letting loose a beam from its eyes.
This bird meant business.
I was able to get away from the Confuse Ray just in time. Then again. Then again. The fifth Confuse Ray had me cornered between my shed and my fence.
"Krow-krow-krow."
Was it laughing at me? Sure sounded like it.
The bird then landed, blocking my exit. It seemed to take two very deliberate and menacing steps towards me, still laughing evilly. Suddenly that chapter on the characteristics of Dark-types didn't seem so exaggerated anymore.
The fiend leapt at me. Without thinking I moved on complete instinct, side-stepping the attack and brought my stick down on the bird. The Murkrow hit the ground hard. I pulled out a Pokéball, expanded it, and threw it at my target.
"Krow." The Murkrow weakly batted it away with its wing.
"Curses!"
Once a Pokéball is thrown to catch Pokémon it either becomes that specifically targeted Pokémon's capsule, or it is henceforth useless. I was pretty sure that's what the companies did to keep making money.
But the Murkrow wasn't looking to great. It couldn't be that high a level; it looked like it was tiring out. In fact, I'm sure I'd seen Pidgey this beaten up captured easily. I couldn't just get one of those, huh?
"Alright my feathery little friend. We can just call it a night and you can allow yourself to be caught and brought to a Center. Easy-peasy."
I was hopeful.
Then to my surprise the bird bent it's head.
In defeat? I couldn't help but cheesily say, "Pokéball go," like on lame Saturday morning T.V. shows. The ball made contact and jiggled back and forth a couple times. I was just about to do my victory dance when it broke – well exploded might be more accurate – and out popped the bird. No, the demon.
"Krow-krow-krow, murkorw-krow-krow." Somehow the feathered demon had found a way to roll with laughter while in the air. "Krow-krow-krow, murkorw-krow-krow," it continued.
"Oh, come on!"
Still, it looked like it was having a good deal of trouble staying in the air. And it had been inside the Pokéball, which meant it could be caught. I threw another Pokéball, mostly in frustration, but it was just batted away with a flick of the creature's wing.
I ran from my cornered position, receiving a few scratches and wing beatings as I ducked under the bird. The bird went at me with a Peck attack, I was lucky and struck it with my stick before the bird's beak did more then graze my arm. As the Murkrow flapped higher I impulsively threw the stick and hit the bird's wing, knocking it off balance. It was then low enough that, with a short leap, I was able to grab its foot and bring it into a headlock.
I was suddenly thankful my mom had gone out with her friends because she'd have either had a heart attack or collapsed laughing to see me struggling with this little bird.
"Krrrr." The Murkrow managed to swing its head and bite my arm. It hurt but at least the creature didn't have teeth or know the attack Bite. It struggled further, clawing up my clothes. I shoved the demon to the ground; limiting its movement's with my whole body.
"You will be mine!"
I somehow managed to get another minimized Pokéball from my belt, expanded it, and touched it to the bird. Again, it disappeared into the ball with a beam of red light but again it broke through the ball. Four Pokéball down, I thought. Not to mention I no longer had my trusty sword.
The Murkrow then did a Drill Peck into my legs. It hurt. It hurt a lot. However the bird had not thought that one through as I fell right on top of it. I rolled over and it looked like I'd done a decent blow. Figures, I thought, well here goes. Pokéball number five hit and absorbed the bird. I collapsed in pain while I waited.
"Krow!" The bird shrieked as it shot out of the ball and landed on the fence.
"Ughh! Fine!" I got up and stomped towards my door. I wasn't going to waste my last Pokéball on that damn bird. I'd just catch a stupid Pidgey. Maybe I could find one in the park that I could weaken and catch before it flew away.
Just as I was almost at my door the little demon landed in front of me. It cocked its head then started on a rant, "Krow, krow murkrow murkrow. Krow. Mur mur krow. Krow krr krowow." It went on as such for a while; it seemed to be explaining something to me. After a minute or so it stopped and just stared at me. I stared back, my legs shaking with pain beneath me. The Murkrow tilted its head and rolled its eyes. I couldn't help but tilt my own head in confusion.
"Krr-oww."
Was that a sigh? The bird hopped towards me. I took a step back. We repeated this dance a couple times.
"What? I'm not allowed in my own house now?"
"Krow, murkrow krow." It said simply.
I sighed. The Murkrow sighed. Then it disappeared for a second then reappeared with a scream; knocking me to the ground. Astonish attack. Great. It then plucked my last Pokéball from my belt and flew back to the fence.
"Hey!" I tried to grab it but was a second too late and missed.
"Krow." With a bit of difficulty the bird expanded the Pokéball, tossed it into the air, and struck it with its wing. I thought it meant to break the device, but instead the ball just flew back and hit me square in the face.
"Krow-krow-krow, murkorw-krow-krow," it laughed. Yup, this was definitely the bird I'd hit a few weeks ago.
Still laughing the bird flew at me. Still on the ground I just shielded my face but instead of an attack I just heard a slight buzzing sound. I looked up to see the wobbling Pokéball beside me. The front button blinked for a few seconds then stopped.
And all was still. I just stared.
The Pokéball felt warm in my hand as I picked it up. I caught a Murkrow? Does this still count? Had I, Tobius Wright, just become a Pokémon trainer?
"Dark-types, they're trouble to say the least."