The dense and vast forests of Johto were broken up by townships where humans had nestled together and built small communities where Pokemon trainers often left from. In the southern part of the country, an overgrown forest path lead to a small village made of wood houses. A shiny, futuristic laboratory rose a story over the rest of the village. This was the lab of the renowned Pokemon Professor, Jason Elm. This town was called New Bark.
Today was April 27th, which was known in the village as Trainer Registration day. Since the events following a boy named Red, the trainer registration age had been raised to 14 as to keep younger children out of danger. Three kids in the village turned 14 this day.
There was Danny who woke up at 5 a.m. in a cold sweat and hadn't slept since. He rode his collapsable bike steadily, slightly standing on the pedals as he glided down the pebbled road of New Bark, hesitantly embracing the significance of today.
There was Fletcher, who woke up at 8 this morning, and left his house feeling incredibly prepared and incredibly nervous. He gripped the handle of his bicycle tightly and darted quickly across town towards the lab, secretly hoping to get there before his friends.
There was Naomi who was still sleeping. Her intense excitement of getting her first Pokemon exhausted her and she sprawled out in her bed snoring loudly. Her alarm would go off soon, but she won't wake up for awhile yet.
Fletcher reached the lab first, panting as he excitedly jumped off of his bike and let if fall in a cloud of dust as he ran up the stone path to the lab's front door. The door was an automatic door that made a distinct woosh sound as it opened before him. He smiled giddily as he look forward.
Danny arrived second, and stepped carefully off of his bike. He looked at the bike in the dirt and shook his head. Fletcher's already here,, huh? I wonder if I'm the last one, he thought to himself. He folded it up slowly as he breathed deeply. He put the rectangular-shaped mesh of his bike softly into his backpack, and zipped it back up. He stood up straight, took a long breath, and stepped forward purposefully.
He walked inside, and immediately saw the back of his old friend, Fletcher, standing at a long table with three spheres sitting. Well, Danny thought, I guess I wasn't the last one after all.
He approached the table nervously and planted himself beside his friend Fletcher who was looking down at one of the spheres. It was a Pokeball, and it had a bright green leaf printed on the front of the red half of the ball. Danny grinned happily. Fletcher had researched his starter choice thoroughly and had been going on for months about the Grass-Type, Chikorita.
Danny looked down at the table and placed himself in front of the Pokeball with a water drop on the front of it. He and Naomi had both fancied the Water-Type, Totodile, over the other three, and they both agreed that whoever arrived first would be the one to get it. Danny wondered if Naomi would hold up that agreement. She had probably forgotten in her excitement. He sighed deeply and looked down at his feet.
A staircase sat against the back wall that the two boys faced, and they both looked at it as they heard the sound of the Professor's dress shoes tapping against the polished steel. He hit the last step, and the tail of his bright white lab coat danced excitedly around his feet. His tan vest, made of thick Mareep wool, was tucked into his darker brown pants. Underneath the vest, he wore a dress shirt that was a bright green. His square glasses sat firmly in front of two bright blue eyes. His messy blond hair complimented his goofy smile that radiated with pride. He was Professor Jason Elm of the Johto region.
"Fletcher! Danny! Welcome! Are you two ready to become Pokemon trainers?!" His voice was excited and he walked over to his desk, pulled his rolling chair out, and plopped down with gusto. He swiveled the chair around to face the boys. "Well? Take your pick, boys! This will be the partner that will help define your journey. Pick wisely."
Danny and Fletcher exchanged nervous glances. "Erm, Professor?" Danny asked awkwardly.
Elm rose his eyebrow and addressed Danny. "What seems to be the matter, son?"
Danny pointed towards the door. "Shouldn't we wait for Naomi first?"
Elm sighed deeply, and let his arms dangle dramatically. "I suppose we should wait for the entire New Bark trio to get here huh?"
Danny beamed brightly. "Of course we should!"
"Okay, but she better not take too long," Elm replied, exasperatedly.
A small buzz could be heard as Naomi's Pokenav rattled against her night stand. This is what she called "the calm before the storm". What came next, "the storm", was also what she would describe as "the worst noise anybody could ever hear ever". This screeching noise, which acted as her last alarm, sent her bolting upwards in her bed. Her long, red hair stook up in every direction and she looked groggily at the time.
"Oh…" The sound escaped her before the thought even connected. "Shit, I'm so late!" She hopped out of bed, her feet lightly hitting the floor, changed her clothes, grabbed her backpack, and sloppily put her hair into a messy bun. By the time she carefully dashed down her narrow stairs, she was out of breath, and struggling to put her shoes on. Before her parents could even greet her, she had slipped out the door, passing her bike sitting the yard, and breaking into the most intense sprint of her life.
Danny leaned against the side of the table, and looked impatiently at the door. Fletcher sat in a collapsable chair that Elm had brought for him. He rested the back of his head on the back of the chair and looked at the ceiling. Danny looked at his long, brown hair that covered his one eye. He looked displeased and attempted to fix it with a quick rustle. Seeming satisfied, he returned his attention to the door.
A few seconds later, and very out of breath Naomi barrelled into the room, startling Fletcher into almost falling out of his chair. Danny sat back at the sound of his childhood friend's hectic entrance. Elm looked up nonchalantly from his computer and a smile crept across his face.
"Well, the gang's all here. Good morning, Naomi." He stood up and walked towards the front of the table. Fletcher and Danny returned to their places in front of their starter choices.
Naomi took a moment to breathe, placing her hands on her knees and heaving heavily. "I'm so sorry, I slept through my alarm."
The professor chuckled. "It's quite alright. I'm relieved to see that you're here at last. Go ahead and stand by the table over here - if your legs can still move, that is." He laughed softly.
Her exhaustion turned to laser focus as she looked at the table and saw Danny stand in front of the Pokeball with the water droplet. "Oh Hell no, Daniel, you are not about to pick Totodile!" She roared.
Danny's eyes narrowed at her furiously. "Like Hell you will, Naomi! We made a deal, and I got here first, so Totodile's mine!"
"I don't care! Totodile is a small, cute reptile, and I love small cute reptiles! I get Totodile!"
Danny pouted, and turned away from his friend. "Fine…" He positioned himself next to Fletcher half-heartedly, and Naomi smugly took her place on Danny's right.
Elm gathered himself, and cleared his throat. "Now, you three are going to begin the journey that will shape your lives in one way," he looked at Fletcher, "or another," he said, turning his attention to Naomi. "What you do on this journey will allow you to discover who you are as a person, and will help you learn about the people and Pokemon around you. You will develop skills you never thought you'd have, and create bonds that will last the test of time. Now, to begin this journey, you will select your first Pokemon."
Fletcher grabbed the Pokeball in front of him and anxiously shouted "Chikorita I choose you!"
Naomi quickly snatched her Pokeball and shouted proudly "Totodile, I choose you!"
Danny sighed and grabbed his Pokeball as he said "Cyndaquil, I choose you."
Before the trio left, Professor Elm handed them each a brown box that felt dense and heavy. "This is your Trainer Starter Kit. It contains everything that you will need to begin your Pokemon journey properly. Use them wisely, the supplies are limited."
They nodded understandingly. "And Naomi, Danny, Fletcher? One more thing."
"What's that, Professor?" Fletcher asked hesitantly.
The Professor began to tear up. "Farewell. I hope to see you all when this is over."
Naomi wiped a tear from her eye. "Of course Professor, we wouldn't go anywhere else." The other two nodded in agreement.
Elm managed a smile. "Good, now get out there and make me proud."