It was an exciting day for Junel of Twinleaf Town as he watch the Pknews station on his small TV, fit for a boy of his ten year old age. He watched the small animation always present on-screen while the News in the morning was on and something important was happening, each gym leader of the Sinnoh Region flashing respectively. Suddenly, a reporter cut through the debate, her hair a wavy brown and skin light, but still unnoticeably tanned.
"Straight from the Pknews station, a special report." Her head slid off the screen and was replaced with a red creature fighting all attempts of being captured. A 'LIVE' logo flashed in the bottom corner.
It was a pokemon, the creatures who inhabit the Sinnoh region and all others of Junel's world. This specific one was unusual though. It was a Gyarados, but Gyardos' scales were to be a blue, like the clear ocean. This ones were strangely red, something that had never been seen in Sinnoh.
The screen filled with a still of the Gyardos, a text run flying at the bottom, saying "RED GYARDOS FOUND ON LAKEFRONT OF SINNOH NEVER SEEN BEFORE?" the final question mark was enlarged onto the screen, inverting color to red, as the later picture shrunk and another, noticeably older, and in a different, screaming stance, filled the remaining space, the question mark bouncing around the screen until it could stop in the middle.
"SAME FROM JOHTO?" A new scroll came. As soon as it rolled off, the text box made itself large enough to hold a minimized face of the reporter previous. She looked up, acting like she could see the two pictures, then took back into the camera.
"You can see the two look the same, but the question standing is, can scientist catch this one as Team Rocket did the other."
A new reporter appeared beside her, by means of a fancy animation, a raindrop splashing down onto her, and dripping beside the box, then enlarging. "But, you must remember, Mari, that Team Rocket captured it for a limited time." The man was bald at top, but the rest of his head, mostly the back, had short hair,
"And now, we have a special occasion cameo…" The screen flashed off to a black screen as Junel got up from his blue chair. On the backspace, in the form of a built-in pillow, was a Piplup, the water starter pokemon of his town, an actual blue penguin size. It was blowing small bubbles, drawn onto the black chair, into another small pillow-pokemon, Chimchar. This red, fire type monkey was another starting pokemon for trainers in his town. This was breathing fire out of the arm-rests, which ducked into the seat of the chair, and climbed back up onto the second arm rest and straight into a Turtwig, the green, turtle, grass pokemon of the trio. It shot small seeds all the way back to Piplup.
And that brings us to why Junel was so excited on that day. It was his tenth birthday, which he shared with his best friend and next door neighbor, Teal. They both now could head out into Sinnoh, by using a new pokemon they received. In fact, they could choose any of the three starter pokemon!
He finally decided, after loafing around for a while, that he would go out and find what Teal was doing on a day like this…
Junel open the door and was swiftly hit with a couple of knocks into his head. He immediately knew who it was. "Teal!" Junel grabbed a third fist and pushed it back into his impatient friend.
"Oh, hi. Junel. You see the news? That Gyardos was-so-cool-he-went…" Teal clawed into the air. "RAGGH!" He stopped in the middle and began his slur of tongue once more. "It was so awesome he attacked and he bit and he sung and he was like…" Teal spun around with his hand out like a sprinkler.
"Yeah, I saw it." Junel could have guessed that Teal would be like this today. He probably didn't even… "You know what today is, right?"
"Of course!" Childish Teal said. "It's the day we set out…" Teal paused, and Junel waited for his friend's mind to work. "To find a rare pokemon by the lake!"
Junel couldn't have guessed that, actually. Although, his was foolish to think Teal would remember a 'small' thing like their birthday.
"Just wait I have to go get my stuff I have my Journal, pokeballs, my lucky Bidoof foot… Just kidding!" He ran into the house next door and slammed the door, with not even enough time for Junel to remind him that he only had play pokeballs, that sent out five-inch figurines.
That was Teal, alright.
But, Junel still liked him through as much. They now trekked out into the nearby forest, although it was a much a forest as it was a small field. The lake's front was East, and Junel lead the way, while Teal hung back, humming a tune and carrying his twenty or more designed pokeballs, all with the pokemon figure that was inside's name engraved into the red.
They finally reached a clearing of the perimeter of trees, with a single thing blocking their way. But it just so happened to be the simple thing they dreaded so much. A patch of tall, uncut grass.
Junel had always wondered why things like that came along anyway. Well, he knew the purpose, but why right where he needed to go. It was the habitat of Wild Pokemon, but why have a habitat right there? In front of the lake?
"This isn't here on my mom's map. I mean that's a recently updated map made by some mapmakers that make maps for my mom. Say that three times fast. Mapmakers that make maps for my mom. Makmater the maps make mom. Whoops. Better start over…"
"Be quiet, Teal." Junel said this often, when he had hade enough, but it didn't seem to hurt Teal in the slightest. "I guess we have to go back. Maybe we can go find some rare pokemon somewhere else?" He pleaded that Teal wouldn't make a big deal…
"No!" All wishes don't come true. "We need to find a pokemon!" Teal put a foot into the tall grass, readied to step completely in, knee-deep. "I mean that red Gyardos was so cool… Remember it was like…" Teal stepped in and began to stop the grass. "RAGGHH!" A screech came as he laid his next step.
"Stt…" It sounded like that would continue the word into stop, but Junel knew it wouldn't. It was a Starly, one of the bird pokemon found in Sinnoh.
It black tail feather raised, joined by the rest of the body and head, all tie-dyed white and black. It had a feather, shaped like a blade, on the top of it's head. "Starly, ly!"
"Halt!" A young girl's voice came from the Lakefront. The Starly even looked back. "Hurting an innocent Starly? You should be ashamed of yourselves!" She ran up and grabbed the Starly out of the air. She snuggled the pokemon against her black shirted chest. She was in the traditional adventuring outfit, unlike Junel and Teal, who had theirs reserved for their birthday day, ironically. Her hat was white with a black pokeball design sewed in. Her black shirt was attached, or so it seemed onto a short, white shirt, and her black socks reached to her knees.
"We didn't hurt it…" Junel stared. "Teal did." He pointed to his uncomfortable friend, his memory being jogged by the outfit.
"Junel! Why didn't you remind me about out traveling outfits? I told you remember I said 'Junel don't forget our traveling outfits when we go to the lake.' But noooo, you forgot?" He pushed the blame back, either ignoring Junel's previous comment or just not noticing it in tought.
"Well, either way…" The girl let the Starly hover again. "My name's Dawn."
"Well…" Junel took a long breath in, both of the two staring him straight in the eyes. "Hello?" He guessed what they would be expecting him to say. Teal had a small smirk on his face.
"Say thanks, Junel!" Teal kept his back to Dawn, in order to hide his various snarling and smiling faces. "You're lucky Dawn saved you, you would've never escaped this cute little Starly's powerful punch…" He turned and walked over to the Starly, petting it, and getting a vicious bite in return. He screamed, and turned back to Junel. "Soo…"
"And you're talking about it?" Junel asked. "Well, Dawn." He walked up to Teal. "I'm Junel, and this guy here's my friend Teal… It's our birthdays!"
Teal bolted around, and quickly whispered into Junel's ear. "It is?" Junel nudged him away. "I mean, we were here to find pokemon."
"Well, that wont do…" A deep voice came with a shadow by the lake. A man stepped out of the trees. Starly let out a cry and hid in a tree, perching in the darkness, now joined by another pair of Starly eyes.
"Dad!" Dawn ran to the man and tugged him out of the dark. He had salt-and-pepper hair and wore a white lab coat. "This is Teal, and Junel!" She pointed, her index finger at Junel and the other index at Teal. "They're Trainers! New, too!"
"Well. Imagine that…" Although it was unnoticeable, he grabbed two minimized pokeballs out of his pocket, and scattered them in the grass. "We must go back, Dawn. Come." He smiled and looked dismissively at the boys, then headed on his way, Dawn following behind him with a wave back.
Teal waited until they were out of earshot. "You ready to go over there now?" He looked into the grass around him, still where he had stepped on the Starly. "I mean, it can be to horribly horrifyingly hair tingly hard. Now, try to say that three times fast!"
"Star!" The new Starly charged at Junel, he only able to dodge it because he had precious seconds of warning thanks to the cry. "Starly, star!" It called the other, which took a shot at Teal, who quickly hid in the grass after the first attack.
"What the?" Junel asked, looking at the two snarling pokemon. What's wrong with these two?"
"Pokerus?" Teal started to suggest. "Parabis, what else could do this?" Teal seemed to have totally forgotten the incident in thought. "Or, maybe it could possibly be like the cool Gyardos it was so awesome remember?" Teal stuck his head cocked. "It was like - ARGHHHHH." He stretched, luckily dodging a flying Starly.
Junel grabbed Teal by the neck and pulled him out of the way of another shot. "Or, step-on-the-Starly-itus?" He suddenly stepped on something himself. It seemed to collapse as he tripped backwards.
"And your telling - woah…" It was unusual for Teal to stop talking, but in the most special conditions, it was occasional. "I didn't know you were a magician, Junel," Of course, Junel didn't know what was going on, due to his limited eyesight of staring up to the sky.
"What?" Junel inquired as he began to stand. He froze as he saw what was really happening. "A… Pip, pip…"
"Piplup!" The pokemon's cry came. Half to answer, half to show it's feeling. It shot a strong Bubble attack to the two Starly, who instantly flew out of the trees they were resting between attacks in and flapped for another service of shelter.
"Woah! Its like Gyarados." Teal went into position again. "It's like…" Junel knew what would happen next, and began to ponder if the time was even worth it. Two Starly, possibly with disease, flying against the two, with a Piplup as protection…
"Shut it, Teal." It was sad to say that twice in so little time on their birthdays, but, he shrugged it off. "Now, lets work. Piplup, try for a Water Gun?" Junel wasn't so sure on what attacks a Piplup knew, although he was to pick a pokemon from some professor in Sandgem Town today. "Please?"
The Piplup looked at Junel for a long time staring into his eyes. It almost seemed like Teal with his mind trying to work clearly, but Junel didn't dare to say that at a time like this.
"Pipppp, lup…" Piplup crossed it's arms and turned away. Junel suddenly noticed the beauty of the small, water, pokemon. It's coat shade of green was amazing, and shined in the glow of the lighter inside color. "Pip?" Junel had known that some pokemon had possibly more senses then humans, but he would've never gone this far in his imagination. Piplup began a Bubble attack, even before the Starly flew out of the tree. As it did, though, it got hit head on with the attack. It shot back into the other pokemon, who had minor health left after the blast.
"Star. Starly!" It angered with the hit.
"Junel?" Teal stood behind Junel. "I don't remember buying this poke-ball…" Junel whirled around to see a fresh poke-ball in Teal's hand. It was marked with a green, grass-like symbol. "It looks like a grass pokemon."
Junel instantly knew as Teal threw the ball impatiently. A Turtwig, his least favorite of the three cried as it was released. "Turt!"
Piplup looked over, nodding disrespectfully to the other. "Pipi!" It took back it's head and cocked it, much like Teal would do before any pokemon's imitation, and drew bubbles into it's mouth.
"Junel?" Teal grabbed onto his released pokemon. "It's your pokemon. Control it."' He seemed strangely patient.
"Since when was it mine? I didn't take it." Junel kept focus on the stalking Starly at the same time. "Dawn must've dropped it." Junel reasoned in his head quickly. Could be, she looked like a master trainer to him, why wouldn't she have these rare pokemon.
"Pipilipipi!" The Piplup made a strange sound, almost like a whimper, and ran to Junel. He had a wound on it's back, and Junel guessed it was some kind of a peck.
"And you said it wasn't you terribly terrific not-so terrifyingly terrific in a terrifying way. Now, say that three times fast." Teal shot out another tongue-twister. "Now, Turtwig, attack with a… Razor Leaf!"
"Turtwig." Teal's 'new pokemon' showed amazing difference from Piplup, in the way of being obedient. "Turt, turtwig!" The pokemon casually walked near the trees, and shot off the attack. The blade/leaf on the top of his head split into two, the one he sent off glowing. It hit the Starly with force, pushing it down, off of the tree.
"Yes!" Junel raised up his right hand, and Turtwig did the same.
"Woohoo!" Teal began excessive screaming while Piplup started saying it's name again and again.
"Pip, lupppppppp!" It jumped into Junel's arms. "Pipppliiiii." It snuggled into Junel's chest.
"Turttwww." It was inverted sound, but Teal was pleased with his pokemon. Turtwig rested on Teal's leg.
"Good job you guys you were like…"
"Don't even try it, Teal." Junel looked at the two fainted Starly. "Lets get out of here. We'll go to your house to talk over this. We need to find what to do with…" Junel pointed at the two pokemon. "Now come-on."
Junel picked 'his' pokemon up and carried it through the forest. Teal noticed Junel was to far away to hear a protest, and decided to tag along. He 'returned' the turtwig into it's poke-ball, gathered the rest of his, and began to run behind.
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"So…" The door made a sound as Junel closed it behind him, Teal already in, sitting in a wooden chair, and offering Junel his own bean-bag chair, same as his own at his house. Junel sat down, Piplup beginning to scratch the fake, pillow copies. "Piplup and Turtwig. What do we do with them?"
"Well, we could go on an adventure and it'd be so cool and we could just be the ultimate trainers." Teal suggested, writing in his journal.
He wrote random things often, usually just copying himself. Now, Junel guessed, he was just writing this conversation down.