This is my first story, so yes, I am a newbie. This is loosely based/influenced on Traveler by The Straight Elf, so if you see any references to that story you know why.
"Lucas! Lucas, honey, wake up!"
"Mrhaghhh," Lucas moaned from beneath his covers as he rolled onto his side.
"Your journey starts today. Breakfast is ready." Lucas bolted up at the mention of food, before he realized the aforementioned words his mom had spoken.
'I forgot! Why didn't my alarm clock go off!' Lucas raced around his room, changing out of his pure slate gray pajamas, that matched his eyes and hair, and into a whole, new outfit. Black sweatpants fell onto his gray shoes, and blue jacket with an overextended collar. Rushing to get going, Lucas grabbed his white scarf and his red hat with the pokeball symbol, and the postcard, that would allow him to get his pokemon, from his dresser.
Lucas took a quick glance around his room to see if he missed anything. Seeing nothing, he turned around and grabbed his white backpack that was next to his door, swung it onto his shoulder, and rushed downstairs.
"Sorry mom, gotta go! Don't wanna be late!" Lucas said as he grabbed his bowl of cereal and began eating as he ran out the door, leaving it ajar.
"Be safe! Come back after you get your starter," called his mother, who had walked outside on to the porch and watched him leave before turning around and closing the door.
"Alright, mom!" Lucas yelled over his shoulder, running towards Route 201 that led to Sandgem Town, where Lucas would get his very first pokemon. And after deciding what starter he wanted based off their typing, he knew he was going to choose the grass-type, Turtwig. Torterra was just such a strong and resistant pokemon, one that could protect him from any dangers. Plus, Torterra were loyal and had a regal kind of presence to them that could scare away any lesser pokemon that bugged him.
Going over a mental checklist, Lucas made sure he had everything that he needed for the journey so far. 'Notebook, check. Spare change of clothes, check. Pokemon food bowl, check. Actual pokemon food, check. Potions and antidotes, che-
"Watch where you're going! I'm so going to fine you," yelled the blonde headed boy, using his hands to brush the dirt off of him, before he realized that he ran into his best friend.
"Barry! Shut up," Lucas teased his childhood friend, "Are you ready for our journey?"
Feigning his feelings being hurt, Barry crossed his arms and looked away before turning back with an eager grin on his face. They helped each other up from the ground then looked at each other. "Totally! Now lets go get our pokemon!"
Lucas threw his bowl into a nearby bush, effectively getting rid of it. With that, Lucas and Barry set off.
They walked in an excited silence, towards the forested area of route 201, that connected the rural town of Twinleaf to the slightly less rural town of Sandgem. They came to a stop just outside the canopy of trees when Lucas thrust his arm out in front of Barry. "Wait, we can't go into the forest without pokemon!"
"Don't worry, it's perfectly fine, we just got to get a running start and get to the other side! No pokemon will have time to stop us!" Barry reassured.
"You go first, I'm not risking it. Especially not today," Lucas said, a little nervous about losing the chance of the Turtwig he so dearly wanted.
"Fine, fine," Barry said, before backing up a good 20 feet and was just about to start running when an old man rushed in the way of Barry with his briefcase flying around, forcing Barry to stop running.
"It's not safe in there! Hasn't anyone told you not to go in there without a pokemon, which you don't have, judging by your lack of pokemon on your belts," the old man bellowed in a gruff voice.
"Who are you, old man? We're just trying to get our pokemon from Professor Rowan in the next town over!" Barry whined, clearly frustrated with being delayed.
Lucas took this moment to chime in, "Barry, that IS Professor Rowan. Didn't you do any kind of research before our journey?"
Barry looked down sheepishly with a red tint on his cheeks. Rowan chuckled a deep and hearty laugh. Once he stopped laughing at the blonde haired boys mistakes, he knelt to the ground and set the briefcase down. Unlatching the briefcase, he turned it around so the two boys could clearly see what was inside. Three pokeballs, one with a leaf imprinted into it on the left, one with a flame on it in the middle, and one with a teardrop on the right.
Barry grabbed the middle one which contained Chimchar. He threw his fist with the pokeball into the air with and released the pokemon. The small chimp-like pokemon threw his right fist into the air, copying his trainer as if he watched his trainer do the same thing from his pokeball, and called out his species name. Lucas stopped fumbling in his backpack for the postcard when the pokemon called out his name, and looked up from his backpack at the fire-type starter. He stared out in awe, with his right hand still grabbing around in his pack. Feeling the pointy corner of the postcard, he momentarily snapped out of his stupor and pulled it out. Fumbling and nearly dropping the piece of paper, he handed it to the professor before grabbing his choice of pokemon. Rowan stared at the postcard before putting it into the briefcase, remembering his first day on his pokemon journey.
"Come on out, Turtwig!" Lucas yelled in excitement. Excitement and nervousness flooded his veins. He was very excited to meet his first pokemon, but nervous that the pokemon may not like him. That all changed when the grass-type ran and leaped into his chest, making Lucas catch him, lest he want to drop his new pokemon. Turtwig, also very excited, chirped his name several times before jumping back onto the ground and stayed by his feet while Lucas began talking to the professor.
"Is anyone getting Piplup?"
"Yes, a girl is supposed to stop by the lab and get her starter pokemon and begin her journey just like you two. Speaking of the lab, we need to go there now that you have protection through your newly acquainted friends. Once at the lab, you will receive your pokedex and five more pokeballs to actually start your journey." The Professor explained, and started walking into the forest with Lucas and Barry in tow.
After Barry started talking to the professor about everything from the pokedexes origin to the founding of Sinnoh, Lucas stopped listening. Instead, he picked up his Turtwig and stared at him, while his starter stared back at him. After Turtwig blinked and cocked his head, Lucas smiled at him. "You're gonna need a name, if you want one that is." Lucas told his grass-type
Turtwig nodded in understanding and Lucas took that as a cue to start listing names. "How about… Genbu?" He shook his head. "Tor?" Nope. "Atlas? Y'know after the world carrier or something?" He nodded enthusiastically. I patted him on his head and started thinking about his journey, and what could happen.
"Lucas? Lucas!" yelled Barry, trying to get the boys attention, and successfully breaking him from his musings.
"Hmph?" Lucas mumbled as he focused on the blonde boy. They were at a large building with a windmill on the side. A large field stretched behind the laboratory, with several different species of pokemon roaming about. Although a lot of pokemon and pokemon herds littered the landscape, it seemed mostly empty. 'Perhaps, Lucas mused, 'I can fill it up with my soon-to-come pokemon friends.'
Lucas watched Barry and Rowan head inside before following them shortly after. What was in the lab amazed Lucas. A Starly and a Staraptor sat on a large steel cart, being examined by several scientists. Professor Rowan had already released the last starter type, Piplup, onto another cart with three food bowls. Barry's Chimchar quickly hopped onto the cart from Barry's shoulder and began eating. Atlas jumped onto the cart as well, eating from the last bowl available, scarfing down the food.
Lucas turned away from the carts and looked at the rest of the lab. The floor had white tiles and several different machines on it. Steel and chrome machines beeped every so often and began restarting its programming. Windows rimmed the very top of the building, just before the ceiling. The windows went around the entire building, showing off trees or the beautiful blue sky.
The Professor coughed, getting the two boys' attention. "Now, here is a your pokedex. You use it to scan any pokemon you see and gain information on it, regardless of the region he or she may be from," he said, handing the kids both a pokedex each, "and 5 regular pokeballs to begin your journey."
Lucas and Barry stared at the items they were given. They didn't believe that they would start their journey today, even though they've been waiting for years. After all, once you started your journey, you were considered an adult and that you could take care of yourself. Your income was from beating trainers on the road, and gyms.
Professor Rowan went to another table against the wall while the boys were thinking, and came back with two items in his hand. Poketchs. Watches that went around your wrist and allowed you to call anybody, regular calls and video calls, check the time, and a map of the region. He handed the blue one to Lucas and the red one to Barry.
After the Professor explained everything, he recommended the two best friends to have a battle. Both of them agreed eagerly, wanting to know who was the better trainer. All three of them walked out back where a pokemon battlefield awaited. Lucas and Barry shook hands and walked to their sides of the field. Having previously recalled their starters they released them on their side of the field, respectively.
"Atlas! Quick, use tackle!" Lucas yelled, anxious to win this battle.
"Argh! I'm so lost! I thought this postcard would be easier to follow!" Dawn sighed in frustration. She had even left early to make it to the lab on time. She had taken every route except the right one it seemed. She had taken the right there, the left here, and went past this crosswalk and that one. So far, she had accidently barged into a noodle shop, a boutique, and a pokégrooming shop.
Staring down at the postcard once more, she took a left from the road she was previously on. She continued pedaling her bike until she saw a large building. 'I can ask directions there,' she mused, 'Maybe they can even show me to the lab!' With renewed energy at the prospect of getting her first pokemon, she pedaled hard and fast. Pushing the kickstand on her bike down with her foot, she set her bike near the entrance and knocked on the glass double doors. As her fist was about to hit the door, it slide open revealing the scientific room that Lucas had seen when he walked in.
"Hello? Anyone here?" Dawn prodded, nervous that she might get yelled at.
"Hold on! I'm coming," yelled a feminine voice from the next room over, upon seeing Dawn she asked "what do you need?" The scarlet haired scientist stared at Dawn, waiting for the answer that never came. The scientist looked down at the postcard that Dawn was holding in her trembling hand. "Oh! You must be the third one that heads out on a journey today! Well, let me go get the professor." And with that she walked away.
"Chimchar! Use scratch!" Barry yelled. While he was commanding his pokemon, Lucas scanned both Turtwig and Chimchar, even though he knew the basics.
Chimchar, the Chimp Pokémon. Chimchar easily climbs the sheerest of walls and lives on mountain tops. When it sleeps, its flames go out. When its flame goes out it scares many rookie trainers because when a flame goes out on most fire-types it signifies death. Being very agile, it is able to climb the rocky ledges of mountains, where it lives. This pokemon is male.
Turtwig, the Tiny Leaf Pokémon. Its shell is made of earth and when it absorbs water, it becomes harder. As a plant-based Pokémon, Turtwig usually nourishes itself through photosynthesis, not requiring as much food as most pokemon. A wild Turtwig is hard to come by, usually only seen in the wild when released from a trainer. This pokemon is male.
"Atlas, use tackle to dodge! Then redirect yourself at Chimchar," pounded Lucas. Chimchar was already running at Atlas with glowing claws. Turtwig waited until the last second then ran to the side, before turning around and running at the fire-type starter.
"Chimchar leap into the air using your hind legs, then land on the Turtwig!" Barry fidgeted in excitement, with an expression of determination on his face. Chimchar landed on Atlas' back and began swiping it with his claws.
"Atlas, use the fastest tackle you can and throw Chimchar off your back by turning every so often!" The grass-type followed his exact words, running and then turning at a ninety degree angle every ten feet or so. After the third time, Chimchar fell off and landed side first and began tumbling towards his trainer. Lucas yelled encouragement while Barry asked his already faithful starter to keep trying. Both pokemon were panting.
"Chimchar, can you keep going buddy," asked Barry. The small chimp nodded his head and stood to full height, proudly.
"Atlas! Quick, use absorb!" Lucas yelled and Atlas closed his eyes and his two leaves on the top of his heads glowed a faint lime green. Focusing even harder, a small green beam shot from between the leaves and towards Chimchar. Hitting Chimchar, several green orbs floated of different sizes floated back towards Turtwig, spiraling around the green beam.
That was it, Chimchar couldn't handle any more and collapsed, eyes closed. Barry sighed and recalled Chimchar, speaking words of encouragement into the pokeball, before placing it onto his magnetic belt made for holding pokeballs. "Good job Lucas. Almost thought I had you."
"I almost thought you had me too. Goob jo-"
"PROFESSOR! THE GIRL IS HERE!" somebody yelled from the lab.
The two boys looked at the professor, who was sitting on a bench near the side of the battle field. They had completely forgotten him during the midst of fighting. "Alright. You two, come with me will you. I'm going to heal your pokemon too," the regional professor asked before getting up and going into the lab.
Barry immediately walked after him while Lucas knelt down and patted Atlas on the head. "Good job, buddy. Now come on, lets go get you healed." Atlas chirped his agreement and them too began walking inside.
Upon entering, Rowan was talking to a girl with blue hair, with Piplup in her arms. She already had a pink and black Poketch on, presumably from the Professor. The girl and her water-type would squeal or nod their heads profusely whenever the Professor asked a question or stopped talking.
After Rowan went over everything with the girl, they both walked to where Barry and Lucas was standing. "Lucas, Barry meet Dawn. Dawn meet Lucas and Barry," the professor introduced, nodding his heads at them, respectively, whenever he said their name. Dawn thrust her hand out and they all shook hands saying something along the lines of 'nice to meet you' or 'hello'.
Rowan put his hand out after they finished exchanging greetings and Barry took the cue. He snapped on Chimchar's pokeball with the flame imprinted into it and gave it to the professor. Lucas followed with Atlas's pokeball. Rowan walked over to a machine with six slots and placed the two branded pokeballs into the first available slots. They began glowing white several times in a row before Rowan grabbed them and gave them back to Lucas and Barry.
"Alright, thanks Professor, I've got to go back home and say goodbye to my mom. Thanks for everything." With that, Lucas turned on his heel and walked out of the front doors and began the short walk back to Twinleaf Town.
"Mom! I'm back," called Lucas after walking in the front door of his house. He spotted his mother humming and cleaning dishes in the kitchen and strode over there and tapped her shoulder, "mom, I got my starter."
She turned around and smiled, "great honey, stay here I need to go get something." She went into the dining room and over to the china cabinet. She pulled out the middle drawer and picked up a box. She walked back into the kitchen and placed it on the counter in front of Lucas.
"What's in it? The box I mean," asked Lucas while he poked the wooden box with his index finger.
"Go ahead, open it. It's a gift." His mother explained, while he undid the latch and pulled it open. Inside, sitting on red velvet, was a pokeball with a pure light pink top instead of red.
"Licky! Stop that! Hehaha!" yelled the five year old Lucas. His assaulter had his tongue wrapped around the young five year old. "It tickles! Stop! Hahaha!"
"Lickitung! Licki!" yelled the pink pokemon, who was licking Lucas all over. Lucas screamed in laughter, enjoying being thrown around in the air. The wind blew through his short hair and he shivered. The cold air hitting the salvia all on him. He stopped squirming and giggling and looked at the landscape from high above the ground. He could see the seemingly rolling hills that went on behind his grandmothers house, the mountains in the far, far distance. A flock of Swablu and Altaria flew over, singing melodious tunes.
"Licky, bring me to that tree," squealed Lucas. Lickitung complied and maneuvered his tongue around so that Lucas could grab a couple of oran berries from tree. He threw one down at Licky, who opened his mouth wider so he could swallow it. "There you go, buddy!"
"Lucas it's time to say goodbye! C'mon," a feminine voice called from the porch of his grandmothers house, his mother.
Licky lowered Lucas to the ground, who promptly ran and hugged his goodbye. Licky hugged back before Lucas withdrew and ran to his mom. Waving goodbye, Lucas left with his mother, oran berry still in his hand.
"Lucas, snap out of it," his mother told him, snapping her fingers in front of his face.
Picking up the pink-topped pokeball, he replied "Sorry, lost in the memories I had with Licky when I was younger. I'm going to go release him outside and catch up, k?" He was already walking outside when his mother nodded.
Stepping down the stairs, Lucas went to the right side of the house before yelling "come on out, Licky!" The pink pokemon blinked in confusion, not sure of its location. He looked around before spotting the one who released him. The Lickitung ran up to Lucas and hugged him, licking his face in the process. "Oh, its so good to see you again Licky," Lucas said, returning the hug and laughing after he got licked. Licky replied in his language several times before he stopped.
"Licky, do you want to go on my journey with me," pleaded Lucas. He thought he was going to implode staring into Licky's eyes so long without an answer before the pink pokemon nodded profusely. Lucas let out a sigh he didn't realize he was holding.
"Lets go!"
Sorry if it seems rushed, just wanted to get this out, I really hate introductory stories.
Anyway this is my first story, so don't say anything bad without telling me how to fix it.
Anyway I plan on Lucas catching Shinx and possibly a Ralts. Also, Lake Verity/Mespirit or whatever it is will make an appearance with Dawn. From then on, the chapters will mostly have Lucas only.