Chapter 1: Jolt Start, Part 1

"The Korinku are coming!"

That was all that needed to be said to send the citizens of Masago Town running for cover. They had grown to fear the wild Korinku that inhabited the forests around them. For some unexplainable reason, the electric rodents had been attacking their town for the past week.

10-year-old Hiro Matsuo sat on the stone floor of his basement with his parents. He had messy black hair plotted on top of his head and wore a blue jacket over a white T-shirt and blue jeans.

He couldn't have asked for a worse time to begin his Pokemon journey. Tomorrow, he was to get his trainer's license from Professor Nanakamondo. He would also get a choice between three Pokemon to start with; the grass-type Naetoru, the fire-type Hikozaru, and the water-type Pocchama.

His mind wandered back to that choice. The excitement of his first Pokemon left him thinking about it almost every waking moment. He still couldn't decide which Pokemon to choose. Fire-types like Hikozaru could become very strong if trained well but grass-types like Naetoru can be adaptable in battle while the water powers of Pocchama may come in handy.

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the crash of a window. A Korinku had broken into their basement, its sleek black and blue fur lit up with lighting up with electric sparks.

"Hiro, get your mother and yourself out of here," his dad said. "I'll hold it off!"

Hiro nodded and ran up the stairs by his mom and out of the house. The street was quiet and empty under the orange light of the setting sun except for a man in a brown jacket with white hair running up to them.

"Hiro, Claire!" he called and came to a halt in front of them. "I'm glad you're safe."

"Professor!" Hiro replied.

He was interrupted by a growl and turned around. Three Korinku were charging toward them.

"Quick! Come with me!" Nanakamondo said and took off away from their pursuers with Hiro and his mother at his tail. They came to a large building surrounded by several other Korinku. "Darn. They're attacking the lab. We'll have to go somewhere else."

They continued running into the woods and soon lost their attackers in the shadow of the trees. Hiro leaned against a trunk to catch his breath.

"Professor," he said. "Do you have any idea why those Korinku are attacking Masago Town?"

"I don't," Nanakamondo answered. "But we could do a little investigating here. This is their nest, after all."

"Sounds good," Hiro nodded and turned to go farther into the woods.

"Wait," the professor said. "You need a Pokemon for your protection. I know it's a day early, but I think you should choose your starter Pokemon now." He took the bag he was wearing off his shoulders and took three Pokeballs out of it. "Here are the Pokeballs that contain Naetoru, Hikozaru, and Pocchama."

Hiro couldn't help but smile. "Are you serious? Alright!" he cheered and picked up the Pokeball with the green kanji for "grass" engraved on it. "I choose this one; Naetoru!"

"Good choice," Nanakamondo smiled. "And here's five empty Pokeballs for capturing wild Pokemon and a Pokedex. It contains information on every known species of Pokemon."

"Thanks, professor!" Hiro said and accepted the five red-and-white balls and the handheld computer.

"Alright then," the professor said, returning the remaining Pokemon to his bag and throwing it back over his shoulder. "We'll split up here. Claire, go with your son. Hiro, call me with your PokeGear if you find anything."

The PokeGear was a high-tech wristwatch. It was equipped with several features like a cell phone and map of the Shinou region, along with the ability to tell time. Hiro nodded and ran off in one direction with his mother. After a few minutes, a blur of blue and black slammed into Hiro's body and knocked him over.

"Hiro, are you alright?" Mrs. Matsuo asked, rushing to his side.

"Yeah," Hiro said and looked around with swift awareness. He soon spotted a single Korinku. He smiled at it confidently with a hint of excitement and threw Naetoru's ball into the air. "Alright, you want to play? Go, Naetoru!"

The Pokeball fell to the dirt ground and burst open. In a flash of white light, the young leaf Pokemon appeared with a battle cry. Korinku assumed a low stance, ready to pounce.

"Naetoru, give it a Tackle attack!" Hiro cried.

Naetoru hesitated a bit but decided that this boy must be his new trainer and obediently lunged toward Korinku. The enemy Pokemon pushed itself into the air and threw itself down onto Naetoru's body. Korinku's body then lit up with electricity as it unleashed Spark attack. Naetoru cried out in pain as the volt jolted through his body. It slammed its head against Korinku and threw it off.

"Good job, Naetoru, now give it a Razor Leaf!"

Naetoru waved the leaf on its head and unleashed several leaves that were as sharp as blades that cut through the charging Korinku. The flash Pokemon slammed into Naetoru with its own Tackle attack. Naetoru fell to the ground on its feet and Korinku landed a fair five feet nearby. The two turned to glare at each other.

"Try Absorb!" Hiro called. "Get some energy back!"

Korinku's body began to glow with a green light. The electric rodent let out a yelp of pain as Naetoru's body corresponded with the same glow. Korinku quickly retaliated by attempting another Tackle attack.

"Withdraw!" Hiro said. "Then Tackle!"

Naetoru ducked its head into its shell to block the Tackle and then shot itself at Korinku to send it flying.

"Do another Razor Leaf, Naetoru!"

Naetoru unleashed another wave of leaves that collided with Korinku in thin air. The flash Pokemon fell to the ground, motionless.

Hiro leapt into the air in joy. "That's the way, Naetoru!" he cheered and then took out one of the empty Pokeballs in his pocket. "Now you're mine, Korinku. Pokeball, go!"

He threw the red-and-white ball at the fainted Korinku's body. It hit and opened up, absorbing the defeated Pokemon's body in a flash of white light. The ball closed and wobbled a bit before the red light in the center went out.

"Yes! We did it Naetoru!" Hiro cried, making a V with his middle and fore fingers for victory. "We caught a Korinku!"

"Good for you, dear," Claire cheered along with him.

Hiro triumphantly picked up Korinku's Pokeball and pocketed it and then pat Naetoru on the head. Naetoru smiled affectionately.

"You did great, Naetoru," he said. "Oh, I forgot something. I haven't properly introduced myself yet. The name's Hiro. We're partners from now on. How about it, Naetoru?" Naetoru nodded as they gave each other a high five.

Suddenly, Hiro's PokeGear began to beep. He pressed a button on it and Professor Nanakamondo's face appeared on the screen.

"Hiro, I found what we've been looking for," he said. "Register my PokeGear ID onto yours and enter it into your map. You'll be able to track my whereabouts that way."

"Got it! I'll be right there!" Hiro replied and hung up. He did as the professor told him and a small red dot appeared on the map screen. "Okay, mom, let's go find the professor."

To Be Continued…