Chapter 1
It was a day to be remembered by Terry Page and the hard, relentless rain didn't diminish his excitement. He pushed the front door of his apartment building, out into the city, and he pulled his blue rain jacket closer to him. Puddles were sprinkled on the concrete and the asphalt. The backpack underneath his jacket caused him to hunch forward. It was filled with equipment, things that he would need on his Pokemon journey: Poke Balls, spare clothing, water bottles, human food, and Pokemon food.
Terry was excited. The reason that he was starting his journey at age thirteen and not age ten was because of, you guessed it, Congress. Five years ago, new legislation was passed rising the legal age one can get a starter Pokemon, buy Poke Balls, and enter League Conferences from ten to thirteen. When Terry first heard this news when he came home from elementary school, he threw an awful fit. Terry always wanted to be a Pokemon trainer and this new law was keeping him from fulfilling his dream. Terry didn't want to join League Conferences or Grand Festivals. He didn't like the idea of training his Pokemon and then ending up losing. Running around, trying to win Gym Badges. No, that wasn't his thing. Training Pokemon, making new friends, that was what he was into. And that was why he sent an angry email and snail mail to his local Congressman. He received a response which he read and then, unsatisfied with it, ripped it into several little pieces and flushed it down the toilet.
The automatic doors of the Pokemon Center opened as he entered the brightly lit room. He pulled his hood off revealing his shortly cut head of jet black hair. The beads of water fell slowly down the fabric of his raiment as he made his way to the front desk. Soft music was playing in the background but was it better than the steady, natural sound of rain beating against the earth?
"How may I help you?" asked Nurse Joy, bowing low. Terry bowed in return.
"I would like to start my Pokemon journey Nurse Joy."
"And you would need a Pokemon for that," said the Nurse. "I have Pokemon from which you can choose one to keep as your own but first I would need to see your Pokemon Trainer's license. And am I safe to presume that you're at least thirteen years old?"
Terry reached into the pockets of his jeans and pulled out his wallet. He showed Nurse Joy his license, that he earned after passing a test that was administered after a day long course in how to raise a Pokemon. It had an unfavorable picture of the boy and showed his age which Nurse Joy nodded approvingly at.
"All right then," said Nurse Joy, clapping her hands just once. "Give me a second to get the Pokemon!" She ran to the back of the Pokemon Center and Terry was left to look out the windows at the dark day while lazily tapping his fingers against the front desk. The automatic doors opened again, the noise causing Terry to jerk his head towards the entrance. From the outside came a boy who was only a little older than Terry and only a few inches taller than him. He had brown hair that went to his neck and Terry secretly thought to himself that he needed a good haircut, especially with the bangs. The new boy would frequently have to brush it aside. He had blue eyes and his brows were wet from the precipitation. He had on a black rain jacket but unlike Terry, he didn't put his backpack under it and his was soaking wet.
"Greg!" said Terry as the boy walked up to the counter. "What kept you? I thought for sure that I would get here after you. Did the rain scare you by any chance?"
"Rain? Scaring me? Terry, I thought you out of all people know that I love the rain!" said Greg with a laugh. "I actually woke up early today, five in the morning. But I fell asleep on the bus and I ended up going around the city before I came to my senses. Sorry for being late."
Nurse Joy came back with a round, metallic tray in her hand. There were three indents punched into the tray and there were three Poke Balls, one in each of the depressions. There was a small square sticker on each of the Poke Balls, one red, another blue, and the last one green. Nurse Joy placed the tray down on the desk and said, " And who are you? Do you want a Pokemon also?"
"Yes ma'am," said Greg. "I would love to have a Pokemon."
"Well, you both can have one but first I need to see your Trainer's license."
Greg took his out of his back pocket and showed it to the nurse. "Everything seems to be in order." Nurse Joy took the Poke Balls and let out the Pokemon inside of them. With a flash of white light came three small Pokemon: a bulbasaur, a charmander, and a squirtle. The three started to run around happily and Nurse Joy scrambled to get them to control themselves. The three stood idly after Nurse Joy caught them (without help from Greg or Terry which made them feel a bit awkward) in front of the two boys.
"You can pick first," said Greg, casually, running his hand through his hair.
"No," said Terry. "We all know what's going to happen. I'm going to pick the charmander and then you're going to pick the squirtle." (Both the charmander and the squirtle perked up before realizing that they weren't necessarily picked.) "I'm going to pick the bulbasaur and then you're going to pick the charmander. You just want me to pick first so that you can pick the Pokemon with the type advantage. Type advantage isn't everything you know!"
"What?" said Greg, raising his hands up in defense of himself. "Why do you think I would do something like that? Besides, if I don't pick the Pokemon with the type advantage, then you're going to have the type advantage."
"That's true," said Terry. "We both knew what Pokemon we were going to pick days and weeks and months before today. And I would be surprised if your decision was changed based on my choice. I'll pick the squirtle."
Nurse Joy nodded and took the squirtle's Poke Ball and returned it. She handed it over to Terry who started to pick the sticker off. "And which one will you have?" asked Nurse Joy.
"Bulbasaur," said Greg, taking the Poke Ball from Nurse Joy and returning the Pokemon to its Poke Ball. "Thank you Nurse Joy."
"I knew it," said Terry with a sigh. "Whatever. Thank you Nurse Joy." The two bowed, thanking the nurse who waved it off, saying that it was nothing.
"So what now?" asked Terry. It was nine in the morning and the two were both in the large cafeteria inside of the Pokemon Center. Terry had only a bowl of cereal for breakfast and he didn't mind a little free food. Of course, they were only given the free food because they were Pokemon trainers.
Terry left and returned to the table with a plate of pancakes which he dived right into and said, through a mouthful of food, "I mean, I don't care where we go. You're the one who wants to battle Gym Leaders and win the Indigo Plateau! I will be your faithful servant, following you to the ends of the earth to help you succeed in your task." He put his hands together as if he was in prayer and bowed down, planting his face into his pancakes.
The two had a laugh at this. Terry found a few napkins and wiped the syrup off his face.
"I say we drag ourselves to the Pokemon Gym, here, in Celadon, and you can watch me win a Gym Badge."
"Great plan!" said Terry. "Except you just got your bulbasaur. You have like zero experience battling and that bulbasaur has zero experience battling also."
"So what do you suggest that we do then?" asked Greg.
"What do you think? A Pokemon battle. Between Squirtle and Bulbasaur. Let's go."
Greg nodded in agreement and the two quickly finished their meals. The rain lessened into a drizzle over the time they spent inside. They went outside, pulling their hoods sun was poking through the dark clouds and light was starting to creep back to the world. The two went to the battlefields that were behind of the Pokemon Center. They went to opposite ends of the field and threw their backpacks onto to the ground. The two let out their Pokemon who both cringed once they realized that they were in the rain.
"Who's going first?" asked Terry.
"I'll go first!" said Greg. "Bulbasaur, use Energy Ball!" Bulbasaur turned around and gave him a confused look.
"Are you serious?" asked Terry. "Fine, I'll start this! Squirtle use Tackle!" Squirtle started to run, angling its body towards its foe.
"Bulbasaur, use Tackle too!" Bulbasaur ran forward and the two inexperienced Pokemon slammed into each other before staggering back. "Follow it up with Leech Seed!" The Seed Pokemon shot a single seed from the green bulb on its back. The seed got lodged between Squirtle's shell and its shoulder and started to germinate. The roots wrapped around Squirtle and flashed red, causing Squirtle to yell in pain.
"Shake it off Squirtle! Tackle!" The roots stopped flashing red and Squirtle let out a confident roar. The Tiny Turtle Pokemon rushed towards Bulbasaur but it tripped on the wet ground and fell on its back. "Squirtle, squirtle!" said the Water-type in despair.
"Ah crap," said Terry, face palming himself. "Squirtle, get up! Please. Hey, Greg? Is it cool if I help Squirtle out?"
"That's now how a battle works," said Greg, laughing. "Use Vine Whip and send him flying!" Two thin, green vines shot from Bulbasaur's body and wrapped around Squirtle's legs. With some effort, Bulbasaur sent Squirtle upwards. It came back down and scrambled in a small puddle before picking himself up.
"Squirtle, use Bubble!" said Terry. He didn't exactly have a large pool of moves to draw from. His Pokemon let out a flurry of cute bubbles at his foe. It took the attack, taking a few steps back.
"Vine Whip, one more time!" said Greg. "Those bubbles didn't do anything to you! Finish this!"
"Use Tail Whip!" Squirtle dodged the onslaught, weaving his way past the attack and when he was just a few inches away from his foe, slapped it in the face with his blue tail. The Seed Pokemon instantly drew back its vines and cringed.
"That doesn't matter," said Greg. "Bulbasaur, use Tackle!"
"Stop messing around! Squirtle use Tackle!" Squirtle jumped back and then went close for another blow. But before the Water-type can do so the Leech Seed that was planted minutes before, draining away at the last of Squirtle's health. Squirtle fell into a puddle, fainted.
"Thank you," said Terry as he returned his Pokemon to its Poke Ball. "Type advantage," proclaimed Terry. "Only reason you won."
"Sure it is," said Greg. "That's why you lost. Not because of my amazing skill."
"Skill? What skill?"