Please keep in mind I may never get around to finishing this story. I have so many I'm working on right now. Maybe one day I'll complete it, but I can't make any promises.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
The alarm was beeping loudly, drowning out the sleep I was in just moments before. I grabbed the nearest object and threw it at the source of the noise.
The alarm stopped sounding as a loud thud started an eerie silence. A faint smell of bacon and eggs made my stomach growl. I sat up and stretched my arms above my head. The sun hit my eyes as I stumbled over to the light switched and flipped it on.
My room was illuminated, and it just showed how bad I was at keeping it clean. I noticed my shoe on top of my alarm clock. So that's what I threw. I went over to pick it up when I noticed the time.
"11:00 am… Oh crap! I'm late!" I squeaked as I made a mad dash through my room, picking up clothes and other objects and throwing them in a small heap beside my bed.
Great. Just fantastic. It's my only chance to get a Pokémon and it just happens to be the day I sleep in!
Rushing down the stairs and into the living room I come face to face with my mother, an annoyed expression on her face and a frying pan in her hands.
"Lyra, I tried waking you several times, but you'd just grumble and continue snoring."
"How late am I?" I said, grabbing a few pieces of bacon and stuffing them in my mouth.
"Hmm, you still have a few minutes before he'll close the doors on you."
"Great!" Mother handed me my bag. "It won't take me too long to get there. It's just a few steps away."
"Don't forget to turn on your phone, okay?" Mother said. "And good luck!"
I rushed out the door and took a sharp, right turn as I headed to the lab. The professor had told me he needed help running a few errands. I knew he would have to let me borrow and Pokémon since it's dangerous to go out in the wild without one. If I proved I could take care of the Pokémon on my own, I might get to keep it. And that would mean getting to travel the region!
I finally slowed my running as I came up to the lab. The building was tall and grey. Windows lined the sides, letting natural light inside. Speaking of windows, I glanced at the side of the building to see a boy peering through the window. His hair was a bright red, really standing out against his dark clothes. Well, he's totally not a shady figure, I thought. I stepped over to him, tapping him on his shoulder.
"Hey, whatcha looking at?" I chimed. The boy jumped in fright, his eyes big and alert, but he seemed to relax once he saw who I was, or wasn't.
"It's none of your business. Leave me alone." Wow, what an attitude.
"Do you need somethi-"I was cut off by a sharp pain hitting my shins.
"I said leave me alone!" He yelled. He had kicked at my legs, hitting my shins in the process, causing me to fall to the ground. Before I could yell at him, he was gone. I got up and dusted myself off.
"Such a jerk," I mumbled, walking back to the front of the building.
I entered the lab with an angry look on my face. I had the right to. Not only was I late, but now my legs are probably all bruised. I walked down the corridor, flashing lights of an array of colors lined the walls. Scientists with their clip boards studied the large computer screens on messy desks.
"Ah, Lyra! I was wondering when you'd show up!" The voice approached me from behind. I turned to see the messy-haired professor.
"Sorry, Professor Elm. It's been a hectic morning." I apologized.
"No worries, no worries at all," the professor grinned. "I understand how busy people can be."
He's right. He should know better than anyone about being busy. A loud siren went off, as if to prove our point.
"That's the second time this morning. Let's go to my office and I'll explain why I needed you to come." The professor sighed, leading me down the hall and into his office, with the door labeled "ELM".
Stepping inside of the small office, I could see a small table with three Pokeballs on it. The professor walked over to a computer sitting on a desk adjacent from the table. He started typing on the computer, adjusting his glasses every now or then. Finally, he stepped back and said, "Mr. Pokémon said he had something for me. I'm fairly busy at the moment and wondered if you'd like to go pick it up for me."
"Of course I wouldn't mind!" My voice sounded slightly more enthusiastic than I'd hoped.
"Great! Well, as you know, you can't travel to the next town without a Pokémon." He motioned towards the table, "Go ahead and choose a Pokémon to accompany you."
Yes! Finally I can travel with a Pokémon, just like they do on T.V., having so many amazing adventures, exploring uncharted territory, and even challenging the Gym Leaders! But first, I had to choose which one of the three I like the most.
I hastily walked over a picked up the first Pokeball. I could see through the top and inside was a small creature. Its eyes appeared to be closed. Perhaps it was sleeping?
"That one is Cyndaquil, the fire mouse Pokémon. It's a laid-back Pokémon, but it's fiercely loyal to its trainer."
I looked at the professor in amazement. I had never been so close to a Pokémon before. Even though it was inside the Pokeball I could still feel the heat emanating from it.
"Is that the one you wanted?" the professor said, curiously.
I looked back down at the small Pokémon. Although I like this one, I should probably check the others. I sat the Pokeball carefully on the table and picked up the next one.
Inside this Pokeball was a small, blue lizard-like Pokémon. This one seemed wide awake as it stared back at me. Its red eyes glanced around, definitely more alert than the previous monster.
"Ah, that's Totodile, the big jaw Pokémon. He's a bit rambunctious, but extremely protective."
I'm not sure I could handle this one, but it could prove useful if I was ever in any danger. I'll still give it some thought before I make my final decision. After all, there's still one left.
I picked up the last Pokeball. Immediately, the Pokeball began to shake. Startled, I almost dropped it on the ground. I put a firmer grip on the Pokeball as I peeked at the small monster inside. This Pokémon was green, with a leaf on its head. It blinked a few times before giving me what seemed to be a smile. It started to jump around, causing the Pokeball to quiver in my grasp.
"It seems to like you," the professor said. "The last one is Chikorita, the leaf Pokémon. It's a shy grass type, although it will take a while to warm up to you, it will forever stay by your side."
Looking back over the three Pokeballs, I knew it would be hard to choose. Just as I sat Chikorita back down, the table began to shake. One of the Pokeballs fell of the table and rolled into the wall. A flash of bright light obscured my vision for an instant until it faded and revealed the "big jaw Pokémon": Totodile.
The blue creature glanced around the room before running towards the door.
"No! Wait!" The professor shouted after the Totodile. He ran back to his computer and hit a button. "The Totodile is attempting to escape! Block the doors!" he said into a small speaker in his computer.
More alarms, different from the previous ones sounded, as well as flashing red lights.
"We need to find it before it escapes," he said before running out the door of his office. I followed him and helped in the search for the most likely startled Pokémon.
After sometime, we found the Pokémon hiding under one of the desks in the main hallway. Professor Elm had grabbed the Pokémon and held him in his arms. I handed the Pokeball to him as the white light appeared again and Totodile was somehow transported back inside it.
We went back into the ELM office as the professor sat down in his chair.
"You weren't kidding when you said he was rambunctious." I said, wiping sweat from my forehead.
"Yes. We've had a few problems before, but he's never made it outside. Yet."
I thought for a second, looking back at the Pokeballs on the table. "I want Totodile."
Professor Elm looked at me, probably wondering if I was joking, but after seeing my expression he replied, "Are you sure? Do you think you can take care of him?"
"Yeah," I walked over and picked up the ball containing Totodile. "I think I understand it a little already."