AN: Thank you so much for taking the time out of your fanfic searching to open up this link. To be honest, I'm only testing my feet in the water of this fandom, so any and all feedback would be appreciated.
To start, this is going to be a novelization of "FireRed" through the 's point of view. I don't think she has a specific name, so I went the random way by entering nothing for her name, and taking the first one chucked out. Gary is known as Green. Red will play a part to the plot. Everyone else is named the way they are in the game. There will also be multiple pairings, and the Pokemon the catches will be based on the ones I catch through the game. Please don't judge.
The ages are bumped up to 15 instead of 10. There will be swearing, and there will be themes. Chapter range will extend beyond my comfortable 10 limit, but they will also get longer as we get further in.
Disclaimer: I don't own, I don't sell, I don't do court. Let's keep it that way. 8D
Sunburst
By Seiren Sekito
Chapter One: Journey Awaits!
"The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking places."
[Taken from the Kanto "Beginning Trainers: Introduction to Pokémon" brochure published in Celadon City]
In this world live creatures called 'Pokémon'. Humans and Pokémon have lived, worked, and played together in harmony for ages. Nevertheless, there are still numerous mysteries surrounding them. In order to find out more about these creatures, many scientists – such as Professor Oak – have dedicated their lives to Pokémon research.
"Ah! So very sorry to have kept you waiting."
A voice snapped her concentration, and she very nearly dropped the book she had just opened to read. Standing not too far in front of her, in his usual clothing, was Professor Oak. Standing up deftly, she put the book down and brushed back some of her long brown hair.
"No, no, Professor," she told him with a small smile. "I hadn't realized how much time had passed." In truth, she had, which was why she had picked up the book in the first place. Either way, her mother had always taught her about respecting her elders, so a little white lie to them now and again wasn't so bad.
Prof. Oak gave a small chuckle, and then beckoned to her. "I'll interview you in the back, where it's a bit quieter." He paused. "If you don't mind?"
The politeness between the two was making the air heavy.
"I don't mean to sound rude, Professor, but I wouldn't mind getting out of here as soon as possible." The young shifted on her feet. "Green knows it's my birthday, and if he finds me…"
"Ah, well, that can't be helped. Green is Green, and nothing will change that." Prof. Oak cleared his throat, and then walked over to sit next to the . Slowly, she followed suit and also sat.
He opened a folder that had the applications for at least a dozen new and hopeful trainers. The rule for a person to become a trainer at the age of ten had recently been replaced with a rule that they had to be fifteen, or seventeen at the latest. Today was her fifteenth birthday, and the first thing she had done that day was fill out an application.
"So, your name is Rey, correct?" he began. "You realize that, should you become a trainer, whatever name you put on the application will be what's on your Trainer Card, yes?"
Rey nodded. "I do. That's why I'll just go with my name." She paused, and added sheepishly, "I also can't think up anything cool to put there."
The Professor gave another chuckle. "Don't be sad, Rey. It's rare that a trainer would have an outrageous name. Trust me."
The interview between the Professor and Rey went on for a little while longer, but before long, the door to the waiting room opened, and in strode a familiar teen with wild brown hair. "Heya Gramps! Have you seen Rey anywhere? I have a present to…" his voice trailed off when his eyes alighted on her.
Rey paled.
"Sorry to cut the interview short, Professor," she said hurriedly, getting up and making for the door. A mischievous grin split across Green's face, and he mockingly sniffed the air, as if he could smell the adrenaline pouring off her in waves. "I've gotta go."
Just as her hand wrapped around the door, Professor Oak called out, "Come back tomorrow, Rey, around noon. That goes for you, too, Green."
"Yeah, yeah," Green told his grandfather with a tip of the head, before he turned and gave chase outside the lab after the fleeing Rey.
Of course, it didn't take too long for Green to tackle her to the ground, just within reach of her house. Almost despairingly, she stretched a hand out of it. Yet, as Green yanked her toward him, she found herself smiling. He was starting to become a bright spot during her daily life. Rey almost always looked forward to her encounters with Green.
He pinned her wrists on the ground and straddled her. "Well, well," he grinned boyishly down at her, and Rey was again struck by how handsome he was. Puberty had been nice to him, and he had hit it a full two years before she had. "What does the pretty princess want for her birthday?"
The normal passerby in Pallet Town did nothing to stop the spectacle. They knew how rough Green was, but they also knew that Rey was also tough enough to handle it. They just smiled and moved onward.
Rey squirmed a bit and locked her brown gaze with his steel one. "I want you to get off of me. Mom's probably worried about why I'm not home."
Green only laughed and sat up, letting go of her. "What's Mama gonna do when her baby's off on a Pokémon quest, hmm?" He shook his head. "She'll have no one to fret over."
"She can always fret over Daisy," retorted Rey.
"Hey, hey, hey! Don't bring my sister into this!" Green launched forward, tackling Rey again, and they rolled in the grass. When they stopped, Rey found herself on top of Green, who had a firm hold on her. She felt her face flush deeply as she was forced to inhale the smell of him through his shirt. It was a comforting smell, one that she had smelled all her life, one that quelled her fears during those scary times…
"Now it's time for your present," Green whispered. His voice was so soft, yet so loud, and Rey jerked involuntarily as his breath caressed her ear. Against all better judgment, she peeked up through her brown bangs.
"What is it?" she also whispered, watching Green's eyes dance. She could get lost in those eyes. Any could.
The next thing she knew, he was mercilessly digging his knuckles into the crown of her head, laughing loudly as she flailed around. "Happy fifteenth birthday, Rey!" he crowed.
Wincing in pain, Rey tried to push against Green's tight grip – not tight enough to choke her, but bad enough – on her, all the while shouting things like, "Get off me, Green!" and "Dammit Green, Mom's gonna flip!" and perhaps her favorite, "Green, you big dumb, you'll kill me!"
But Green didn't let up until he himself couldn't breathe due to his laughter, and Rey indignantly shoved away from him, trying to scowl and pout at the same while fixing her hair. Whatever closeness she had felt when they had laid on the grass for a mere few seconds had flown away on the wind.
Green chanced a look up at her, and fell into gut-wrenching guffaws. He shakily pointed at her as she petulantly crossed her arms. "Y-You should see your face, Rey!"
Despite her best attempts, Rey could not stay mad or even remotely annoyed at Green for very long. The guy was something moody, being all serious at one moment, yet so carefree the next.
It was this moment in time, hearing his carefree laughter, that caused her own smile to break out onto her face. Soon enough, she was laughing right along with him.
It was the very next day that Rey was up bright and early, right at the of dawn. She carefully had picked out her clothes the previous day, a brand new but very comfortable looking outfit. It included a slim-fitting baby-blue sleeveless top that looked complimentary to the orange skort she would wear with it. She wore blue legwarmers with her brand new running shoes, given to her by her mother as her present the night before.
Rey painstakingly ran the brush through her hair, getting a feeling it was the last time she could make it look presentable. After clasping her black armband around her wrist, she packed her bag.
She wasn't too sure whether she would actually be a trainer by that afternoon, but it was better to be prepared than unprepared, right?
Right after lunch, Rey bounded outside of her house, leaving her mother behind to do the dishes. She didn't miss the fond smile on her mother's face that accompanied the "Go have fun."
Only moments later, Rey eagerly threw open the door to the lab and ran in. As she approached the door leading to the back, her eager steps became slow, soft, and hushed. Her feet came to a stop right by the door, and the rush of everything hit her. Butterflies that had been mere caterpillars that morning were now fluttering around in her chest. She stood there, numb to her surroundings, not comprehending the many employees rushing around to get their work done.
Doubts crowded her mind, making her second-guess herself. Second-guess the reason why Professor Oak would want her there on this day.
When an assistant ally hit her and threw her off-balance, she snapped back into reality. "Sorry," she mumbled, before reaching out to open the door.
Another hand beat her to it, and with a jolt, she looked back. In surprise, Green's gaze met hers. He took a step back, giving them both breathing room. This just happened to be one of those days when he was in "serious" mode, as she could tell.
"Gramps isn't here right now," he told her, averting his gaze to the opposite wall, where a bulletin board hung. Rey took a quick glance at it, and only found a table listing all of the gyms in Kanto, as well as the current Elite Four and Champion. Looking back at Green, she saw something shining in his eyes.
Rey, having grown up with Green, knew that look. It was desire. A desire to be number one. Glancing back, she sought out who he was looking at, and knew off the bat it was the Champion. Another kid from Pallet Town, who had become Champion at the age of fifteen, two years ago.
Doing the quick math, it would make the Champion the same age as Green. Seventeen.
"You really want to beat Red, don't you?" she half-asked, half-stated to him.
Green nodded sharply. "The ultimate goal for any trainer. Beat the Champion to become the Champion themselves."
"Red's wicked strong, though. They say his combination is unbeatable."
Green's eyes narrowed. "I'll beat it."
Rey shrugged. "Have fun with that. I'll just leave it up to you." Then, she gave a little cough and asked, "Where is the Professor?"
Green also gave her a shrug, moving his eyes away from the snapshot of Champion Red and moving around her. "I have no idea. I'll just be waiting back here for him." He paused, holding the door open for an exiting assistant, and then looked at Rey. "Wanna wait with me?"
Rey gave a small smile at the offer, but shook her head. "I'll just go out and look for him. No big."
Green shrugged again and turned back. "Suit yourself. Have fun with that."
Rey rolled her eyes at his little stab at the comment she just made. "Loads."
Searching for the Professor proved to be fruitless thirty minutes later. She had checked in with Green, and he had told her that the Professor hadn't turned up yet. Silently fuming and swearing under her breath, Rey turned to go home, before stopping.
She turned toward the entrance and exit to Pallet Town, where a long expanse of tall grass grew. A small breeze wafted by, causing the grass to shift against each other, letting out a soft shaaaaaa sound punctuated so often with the movement of a Pokémon.
Should she really try it? Should she risk it? Rey had heard the rumors that Red had caught his first Pokémon, a Pikachu, in those very grass blades. Would she find a special Pokémon in there to call her own? Maybe a Pikachu like Red?
"I know what you're thinking, Rey, and I will not allow you to go out into the tall grass!" called a voice. Rey was snapped out of the tempting trance of the grass and spun as Professor Oak approached her. She had the grace to look sheepish as the professor gave her a stern glare. "I know everyone whispers that Red caught a Pikachu in that grass, however I refuse to let you even remotely try it. It is too dangerous."
"Sorry Professor," she mumbled, and Professor Oak relaxed his glare.
"Come along then. I have kept you waiting again, and Green as well. You know how impatient that boy is." Together, they headed back and into the back of the lab, where they found Green pacing restlessly.
When he looked up, his face visibly relaxed, and his shoulders slumped. "Hey, Gramps! What took you so long? I thought something had happened…"
Professor Oak gave a short laugh. "I'm sorry, I was just visiting an old friend on the outskirts of town, and I lost track of time."
Green rolled his eyes and muttered something along the lines of, "Damn old geezer…" Rey smiled despite herself.
"Er-hem!" Professor Oak cleared his throat. Nodding when he had the pair's attention, he gestured to the table beside him, where three Pokéballs sat inside glass containers. "I have decided to choose the both of you to be the newest Pallet Town trainers. And yes, Green, there were quite a few to choose from."
Green didn't look impressed as he crossed his arms. Rey, on the other hand, found her excitement bubbling toward the surface again.
"The three starters here for you to choose from are Bulbasaur, Squirtle, or Charmander. Choose wisely, as you will not be able to pick a different one later," the Professor told them. He looked at Rey. "Which one would you like, Rey?"
"Hey!" Green protested. "You'd pick her before me? I'm older and even related to you!"
Professor Oak held up a hand. "You can just get whoever is left after she makes her decision, Green. The world isn't ending."
Rey stared at the three Pokéballs, thinking hard. Finally, she looked up at Professor Oak. "I want Bulbasaur. It's a grass type, right?"
Green gave her a long, measured stare, before saying, "I'll take Charmander then. A fire type."
Rey turned appalled eyes to Green as Professor Oak retrieved the respective Pokéballs for each of them. "Green! You know Bulbasaur is weak to Charmander! Not only that, but you would be at a disadvantage at the first two Gyms! I thought you wanted to get to the same level as Red, so why would you take it?"
Green coolly reached out and accepted the Pokéball that housed Charmander. "Well, Rey, it's simple. I want to be one step ahead of you, while having a challenge at the Gyms as well." Rey numbly took the ball offered to her by Professor Oak, who was silently watching the two of them.
"But still, Green," Rey muttered, feeling a stab of hurt in her heart as she rolled the Pokéball around in her hand.
Green held the Pokéball out to her. "C'mon Rey! Let's savor this last moment as friends together! Let's have our first battle!"
Rey stumbled a step back, going wide-eyed. "What the – Green, I have no idea how to battle!"
Green shrugged. "Give it a try anyway! If you want, I'll go easy, but you'll have to remember that no one else will!"
Something sparked inside her, and she felt her posture straighten. "Fine, if you want to be that way, I accept your challenge." She paused, and then flicked some of her hair back. "And don't go easy on me."
"Then I won't." Green pushed the button and the Pokéball grew to palm size. "Let's go, Charmander!" he called, tossing the ball, which unleashed the small fire lizard in a blaze of light.
"Go! Bulbasaur!" Rey called, imitating Green. A small, four-legged mini dinosaur-looking creature with a large bulb on its back materialized.
Professor Oak gave a sigh and fell backward into a chair. "Oh for Pete's sake… Pushy as always…"