Having left the window open the previous night, Grey found himself awakening to a brisk breeze. The ice cold air swung right past his face like a cool smack, knocking the trainer to life. Quickly sitting up, the fifteen year old glanced around the room with a startled expression, as if he had thought someone had literally hit him with an ice cold glove. It would be hard to believe it was summer had the teen not been from Janest Village. As used to the cold as he was though, it still managed to catch him off guard once in a while.
As he reluctantly crawled out of bed, Grey began to process what day it was. "Today's the day," He quietly mumbled to himself, half smiling. Normally, the day a trainer got his first Pokémon was supposed to be the happiest of his young life, but for residence of the Xonia region, things weren't as simple. Still the opportunity to finally begin his next chapter was right in front of him, and there was no way he was going to let it slip by. As he mentally prepared himself, Grey tossed on his usual outfit, a gray hoodie and black jeans. To keep warm, he added a black wool cap to his ensemble, which covered up his brown curly hair. He was going to be spending a lot of time outside, so he knew to bundle up. As he laced up his black boots, the trainer walked through his bedroom door into the hall, his bright blue eyes flashing with confidence.
His one story house brought him straight towards the living room, on the other side of which was the front door. He could hear his sister's subtle snore coming from the couch, as he tiptoed past. 'I just need to get out the door. Even if she wakes up at that point, I'll have a lead.' As he attempted to slip by, a branch spitefully fell to the ground outside the window, weighed down by the previous night's snow. One eye at a time, Bess woke up, just in time to catch her brother sprinting to the door. Wiping her messy red hair out of her face, the girl shouted "Where do you think you're going?"
Grey gulped and turned back around, rubbing the back of his head as he tried to think of a response. "Uh, I was just gonna head to the um… the thing." He responded vaguely, knowing that she knew the answer anyway. It wasn't that he wouldn't want to say goodbye to his older sibling, but rather that he didn't want to look stupid if he came back empty handed. If he said his goodbyes now, it would only make failure sting that much more.
"How many of you are there is year?" Bess asked, still half mumbling from her sudden awakening. "Last year you were screwed by the high turnout. I mean, how do they think its fair to distribute three Pokémon to eleven people?"
Grey hesitated before answering. "It's just four this year, Bess. This could really be it, y'know?"
The girl didn't respond, instead she just stood up and slowly walked over to her younger brother with a stern face. Without warning, she leaned in and gave him a hug. "Then I guess I should be prepared to be here by myself, huh? I mean, Mom and Dad come around sometimes, but on a day to day basis, it's always just been us. Just promise me you'll take care of yourself." As she pulled back, Grey could have sworn that a tear came to her eye.
"I'll be fine Bess, don't worry. I'll be back to visit, if I do end up leaving today, that is." Grey replied with a soft smile as he walked towards the door. "Love you, Bess." He said as he walked out into the cold, the wind kicking some snow from the ground into the doorway.
After a good ten minute walk in the 30°F streets of Janest, Grey finally arrived at the village square. Dozens of people were standing in the crowd, watching the podium for any sign of an announcement. Rather than join the crowd of spectators, the trainer hopeful walked behind the stage, where he was greeted by a pair of familiar faces. "Zeek!" He called out to the younger of the two brothers.
The teen was about his age and size, and sported a brown red colored jacket. The brown eyed, tan skinned boy ran over to greet his friend, as they exchanged a brief fist bump. "Yo, Grey. How have you been? Zeke questioned in a boisterous voice. I haven't seen you in weeks! I was worried you'd dropped out or something."
Grey chuckled a bit, rubbing his neck as he responded. "Yeah, I guess I've been trying to get ready. I mean, I know all I need to know, and it's not really possible to train for this event, but at least I'm prepared mentally. Besides, I couldn't be seen fraternizing with the competition." Grey laughed. As the moment passed, Grey dwelled on his own statement a bit. "That reminds me, do you know who else is coming? I'm surprised it's such a small crowd this year. Only half of the people eliminated last year are coming back, right?"
"That's right!" came a voice from behind the two, the older brother that Zeke had been with. "Other than you two, the participants this time are Mona from up north and Skye from the outskirts. Skye wasn't even in town last year, so we have contestants who are no shows." The man rubbed his scruffy chin, his blue overcoat dancing in the cool wind. "I believe they all went to other towns to participate. I guess they were too impatient to wait another year for a chance to get their Pokémon. Well, whatever. Makes life easier for you two."
"Thanks, Kull." Zeke said to his older brother. "Mona was the underdog last year. I doubt she'll give us that much trouble this time around."
"I hope so." Grey mumbled, uncertainty in his voice. "I don't know much about Skye, but I did here that he's the favorite to get first pick. Pretentious or not, he's apparently supposed to be a big deal."
"It's almost time to begin, you two," Kull said, gesturing them towards the stage. "Mona and Skye are already up there, and I think the crowd has waited long enough. Let's get things started!" Kull played air guitar on his last statement much to Grey's discomfort. Zeke, on the other hand, joined in. If there was any doubt that the two were brothers, that moment certainly cleared it up.
As they walked on stage, the two boys took the two seats closest to the stairs, as the other two chairs were already occupied. Next to Zeke was a pale skinned girl, who seemed rather meek and nervous. Despite this, she adorned herself in fancy clothes and jewelry, something that seemed a bit inappropriate given the circumstances. Her bright green dress was almost doomed to get dirty through the days proceedings. Further down the line, almost directly center stage was the final contestant, Skye. The teen looked about two years older than Zeke and Grey, and was dressed in dark gold colored wool coat, being the only person who was clearly not used to the Janest weather. On his feet were combat boots, with laces tied so tight one would be forgiving for thinking the seventeen year old just exited the military. Skye briefly met eyes with Grey, causing a chill to go down the younger boy's spine.
Snapping back to attention, Grey watched as Kull walked towards the podium, grabbing the microphone in hand. The young man greeted the crowd of at least one hundred villagers with a smile, waiting for their applause to simmer down before beginning his speech. "Hello everyone, and welcome to the fourteenth annual Trainer Qualification Ceremony! As you all know, my name is Kull Branders, the Gym Leader of Janest Town. As such, it is my honor to introduce you all to the contestants for this years ceremony! First, we have my own younger brother, Zeke! Next to him on the left is Mona. Then on each end are Grey and Skye! The four of them will be competing to find out which one will be able to start with one of three fabulous Pokémon!" Kull held up a large posted, sporting pictures of the three available Pokémon. "Here are your three selections, imported straight from the Kalos region. Chespin, a Grass-type, Fennekin, the Fire-type, and finally the Water-type, Froakie!" Putting down the board, Kull pointed his finger towards the opposite end of the stage. The second set of stairs led straight towards the Janest Woods entrance. "These three Pokémon are hiding somewhere within the woods, in a spot that correlates to their own types. Each contestant will need to find one of these three Pokémon, and then capture them. Each trainer will only be given a single Pokéball, and as none of our contestants have a Pokémon of their own yet, they will need to convince the creature to join them through negotiation." Kull gestured for the four trainers to stand up and take their place at the forest entrance. "Remember, there are other Pokémon in the forest as well, and unlike the ones we are giving away, they are completely wild! Please use caution as you make your way through the woods."
The four trainers stood side by side at the entrance, waiting for their cue to move. "Good luck, Grey." Zeke murmured under his breath.
"Same to you, buddy." Grey responded in kind. "And good luck to you guys too," he added, including Mona and Skye. The fourteen year old girl gave a shy smile and nod, while Skype simply brushed the comment off.
"Begin!" Kull shouted, causing the four trainer to dart into the woods, each taking a seperate path. Not watching his competition, Grey decided to dart off to the left. He knew there was a pond in that direction, one that very well had a chance of holding the Water-type Pokémon, Froakie. 'This is it… I can do this.' The teen assured himself, as he disappeared into the woods.
Even after forty five minutes had passed, Grey finally arrived at the lake. Sure enough, a bubbling could be seen coming from the water. "That might be it!" Grey exclaimed wading into the water. When he was ankle deep, he heard a splash followed by a weighted feeling on his head. The Froakie bounced off the boys head and onto the land, giving him a blank stare. "Uh… Hey Froakie." Grey started slowly. He knew he was supposed to convince the Pokémon to join him, but he couldn't figure out how. "So, would you like to join me? I mean, I need a Pokémon, and you're here, so why not?" The Froakie stared at him for a moment, croaking gently as it processed the trainer's somewhat poorly constructed offer. After an awkward silence, the small frog leapt back over the trainers head and dived back in the water. "Yup… that could have gone better." Grey mumbled to himself as he walked back onto to dry land. A chilly breeze blasted him in the face as he suddenly realized his lapse in judgment. "Okay, not smart." He shouted at himself, as he collapsed into a ball on the snowy ground, shivering. "Never go into water in this weather. Lesson l-l-learned." He could see the Froakie staring at him, almost as if it were internally laughing at him.
The only thing that snapped Grey out of his icy funk was an odd shriek emenating from a nearby area of the woods. "What was that?" He wondered to himself, trying desperately to ignore is freezing feet. He stumbled over to investigate, another shriek sent a flock of Spearow flying out of the trees. The sound was high pitch, and sounded like it was coming from a small Pokémon. Grey arrived at the scene to see two Pokémon, a Caterpie, and a Doduo. The Caterpie continued to scream, as the Flying-type continued to peck at it. "Hang on!" Grey shouted as he ran towards the action, scaring the Doduo off. The little Bug-type attempted to flee as well, but simply passed out from its injuries. "Hang in there, little guy." Grey cooed gently as he scooped up the insect into his arms. When he found a safe looking spot, the boy placed the Pokémon on a bed of fallen leaves. Grabbing some dryish twigs, the young trainer started a fire, placing his feet beside it to warm up. Grabbing the first aid kit from his knapsack, the boy began to treat the Caterpie's wounds. "Hang on. I'll get you out of here soon." The Caterpie opened its eyes and watched the human bandage him up. The little creature began to well up before losing consciousness. He never thought that anyone, human or Pokémon, would do something for him like this.
The small Fennekin walked out of the nice, insulated cave upon smelling something to eat. Even though she knew she was supposed to be hiding from the contestants, the little fox couldn't ignore the delicious scent of baked berries. As she approached the smell, the Fire-type was startled by a trap suddenly falling over her head. numerous sticks had been bundled together to create a trap that was almost custom made for her. As she tried to tackle her way out, a figure approached her. Skye had a small smile on his face as he bent down to meet the creature at eye level. "Hello there. My name is Skye Lawson. If you want to get out of here, all you need to do is let me catch you." The trainer stared at the fox for a response, but was only met by a terrified stare. The small creature quaked in fear, its freedom having been suddenly snatched away. Skye rubbed his chin, as a trickle of guilt started to pour down his chest. With a sigh, he lifted the wooden trap off of the poor defenseless Pokémon, before walking off. "Fine, nevermind then. Sorry." Despite his apathetic attitude, Fennekin followed him. Something about the trainer intrigued the young Pokémon, and she wanted to learn more about him. Skye turned around to find the curious Fire-type wagging its tail behind him. The boy simply stood there, confused by the turn of events.
The sun had begun to set as the competition began its sixth hour. Mona walked through the woods timidly, avoiding the gazes of wander Hoot-Hoots as she ventured ever deeper. The teenage girl cursed the short sunlight hours of Janest Village, which left her in the dark at the early hour of 4:00 PM. The darker it got, the faster her pace was, as if she was running from the night. It wasn't long before she found herself faced with a massive tree. "This is the Great Pine of Janest Woods," she mentioned to herself, temporarily putting her fears aside to investigate. "Maybe one of the Pokémon is hiding inside." Pensively, the girl knocked on the tree trunk. A buzzing sound could be heard as a frightened Combee flew out of the tree. The girl jumped back in surprise, but quickly composed herself. "Well, that's not the Pokémon I wanted. She said, as she turned to leave.
Suddenly, possibly in defense of its frightened young, a Vespiquen descended from up high. The large bee glared at the girl, who became frozen in terror. As the bug positioned itself to attack, Mona dashed away, yelping in fear. The queen began her assault, summoning bees with her Attack Order. When suddenly a branch landed on her head.
The Chespin, who had been hiding up high in the Great Pine, Jumped down onto the large Bug-type, and began to ride it like a mechanical Tauros. The Vespiquen flung the brave little soldier off, and right into Mona's arms. Mona, forgetting about her perilous situation for a moment, looked down at the rodent with glee. "You saved me." She said sweetly to the exhausted Grass-type. A large buzz snapped her back to attention as she began to run. "Okay, maybe time to run out of here!" She screamed as she carried her savior through the woods, with Vespiquen in hot pursuit.
Zeke had been wandering around for hours with no luck, when he finally arrived at the pond. "Maybe there's something here." He thought to himself, having completely forgotten what his brother said about where the Pokémon would be hiding. Sure enough, Froakie greeted him in a similar fashion to the way that it had with Grey earlier (Though Zeke had enough sense to not enter the water), by jumping off his head. The two stared at each other silently, as Zeke tried to figure out exactly how to respond. Finally, the strange teen ran over to the Pokémon and jumped over it, landing just inches from its head. The frog Pokémon finally broke its gaze and began to panic, completely confused as to what was going on. Zeke laughed as the Pokémon hopped around in circles. "I thought you wanted to play leap frog. You jumped over me, so I jumped over you!" The teen continued to laugh, leaving Froakie in a bewildered state. Suddenly, the Water-type began to laugh as well, do solely to the sheer ridiculousness of the situation.
The crowd had long since dispersed, as most people had become sick of waiting for the contestants to emerge. Only Kull remained on the scene, and only out of obligation. "Man, I've never seen this event run so long. I hope they're okay in there." He mumbled to himself as he sat on the steps of the stage. A sudden scream brought him to his feet as Mona emerged, carrying Chespin in her arms. Behind her was Vespiquen still chasing her to the ends of the woods. "Hang on, Mona!" Kull cried out, grabbing a Pokéball from his belt. "Go, Vanillish! Hit the Vespiquen with Ice Beam!" The ice cream cone that emerged obeyed its orders and attacked the bee, injuring it and sending it back into the woods.
Kull returned the Pokémon and walked over to Mona, who had fallen to the ground, with the Grass-type still in her arms. "Thank you… Both of you saved me." She said to both Kull and Chespin. The Gym Leader responded with a gentle smile while Chespin gave a wide grin. "Chespin, I'd be honored if you would be my Pokémon. Will you?" The girl asked gently, presenting the small critter with her one and only Pokéball. Chespin responded by happily tapping the device, as a red light absorbed it. The ball shook a few times before clicking closed. Mona smiled and hugged the ball into her chest.
"Congratulations, Mona, you're the first one back." Kull said, turning back to the path to the woods. This time it was Skye approaching, a smug look swept across his face. "Perhaps I wasn't first, but it does look like I've succeeded in catching a Pokémon as well. That's good enough for me." The boy shrugged and walked off, not waiting for a response. Kull and Mona watched him leave without much of a response.
'It's between Zeke and Grey now. Looks like they won't be able to travel together after all.' As desperately as he tried to be impartial, Kull couldn't help but root for his brother, and to an extent Grey as well. He was disappointed by the situation, but things only got worse when Bess arrived. The young woman wrapped her arm around Kull and asked, "So where is my brother? Did he start his journey without saying goodbye to me?"
Kull looked at the ground. "Sorry, Bess. He and Zeke are still in there. Just the two of them left." The two went silent, not wanting to admit that they were rooting against each other. The quiet was broken by the third contestant to exit.
Zeke strode out holding his Pokéball up high. "Hey, look who finally has a Pokémon! He said to his brother, unaware of the situation. "Where's Grey? I wanted to show him my new Froakie." As he saw Mona holding a Pokéball the boy grimly grew aware of the situation.
"Zeke, Grey is the only one left in there. I'm going to get him now…" Kull said somberly. Congrats though, bro. You deserve it." The Gym Leader walked off into the woods to retrieve the final contestant.
The news ruined Zeke's celebratory mood. Not knowing how to react, he turned to his friend's sister, and saw that she was disappointed too. "I can't believe Grey lost. He knew those woods better than anyone. He's… going to be really upset, isn't he." Bess responded with a simple nod, as they waited for Grey to come home.
"I'm home, Bess!" Grey shouted as he walked in the door. The smell of his favorite curry filled the air, something that his sister only prepared on special occasions.
Bess walked in, forcing a big smile. "Don't worry, Grey. You'll get one next year." She claimed, though she wasn't entirely sure. Seeing that her brother wasn't upset, however, she decided to drop the subject. "So, the Zeke left just now, right? He certainly didn't waste any time." The two sat down at the table and began eating.
"Yeah, he's really motivated. He's got quite a bit to live up to, seeing as his brother is a Gym Leader. I guess he didn't want to wait another night to begin making a name for himself."
"Speaking of Kull, he told me you hadn't given the Pokéball back. Remember to bring it back to him." Bess said, returning to her normal, pushy, big sister esque ways.
"No problem. I'll bring it to him in the morning." Grey responded after a brief pause. The remainder of their conversation was littered with small talk, purposely avoiding the topic of the day. Grey didn't mention the reason why he had lost, or anything that had happened in the woods. That was just for him to know.
Early the next morning, Bess woke up to get ready for work. As she stumbled towards the kitchen she saw a note attached to the refrigerator. She rubbed her eyes and began reading it, her eyes welling up.
Bess,
Yeah, I don't think I'll be home tonight. I've got plans. I'm heading out on an adventure with my new Pokémon. Don't wait up. Love you.
Grey
P.S. Tell Kull not to expect that Pokéball back.
An emotional chuckle escaped the girls lips. "You son of a bitch, Grey. Can't you do anything like a normal person."
The sun began to rise as Grey was finally out of sight of his home town. On his shoulder lay a Caterpie, fully healed and ready to take on the adventure in front of them. "Alright Flicker. Let's do this. Next stop, the Pokémon League Championship."