Pokémon- Journey to Dreams

Episode 1: Sparks of the Dawn

Fabrizio woke up, with the fire in his eyes.

Suddenly, with one move, as the first golden ray of the dawn crept softly beyond the shutters of his bedroom's windows, on the first floor of his house, in the humble New Bark Town.

The light that dominated his mind faded away in the depth of his chestnut brown eyes.

He dreamt it again.

The boy got out of the bedsheets, still sleepy and stunned, trying to somehow manage the dark brown hair and get tressed. As he went on in a sort of trance, a new thought made his way into his mind. Today is the day. After I waited three years… the day I start my journey.

More or less dressed up, the 14 years old Fabrizio prepared to go downstairs, and couldn't help himself think of that once more.

He dreamt that again.

His recurring dream… or better yet, memory. The reason he put off his journey for three whole years. The night of many years ago…

The night he saw the Dragon.

It had landed before the boy, who was coming back home after hanging out for too long. It descended in a vortex of fire and ice, yellow shining eyes lighting up the mist. Just one roar made the air and the wood of New Bark Town tremble and shake, and when the fog was blown away, Fabrizio could see the Dragon's shape. Huge, dark, chilling. Then, it took off, soaring for the starry sky, not before staring the boy for the longest instant with its burning eye, leaving Fabrizio wordless and shocked in the meadow.

Fear made him put off the journey. Fear of not being ready to meet the Dragon again, along with a burning desire to meet the mysteryous Pokémon once more to know it, understand it… and maybe challenge it.

Now, the moment had come.

He knew why he dreamt it again. Because he would have ketp on dreaming, to the day of their encounter.

But he felt ready now. Even though he was starting later than other Trainers, he didn't slack off during that time. He had prepared on the theory, but knew that nothing surpasses experience. He wrote down whatever insights he could from expert Trainers he met, and he tried to be as physically fit as New Bark Town could allow. Though he was still skinny and not that tall he was prepared to live out in the open with very few problems.

In the meantime, his great friend Tom was up to something as well. He cultivated the dream of becoming a Poison Type Gym Leader and was one year older than Fabrizio, but nonetheless showed a great deal of respect for his younger friend. In the last few months, Tom had managed to make "friends" with a hungry Zubat that had come to seek shelter in his house.

Though, saying "make friends" would not paint the exact picture: Tom adored the Pokémon, while Zubat more or less tolerated and listened to him. It still followed Tom around, though, and it was still better than having no Pokémon at all, Fabrizio considered.

He put on his shoes and went downstairs. After a quick breakfast and a relatively short sermon by both his parents, he was out and heading for Professor Elm's Lab, to go see the Town's very own Pokémon expert.

On the way, Tom came along: "Hey, where do you think you're going, bud?"

"As of yet, still nowhere. What about you?"

"Well, wherever you go, don't think of leaving me out of it, will ya? We got a journey to start together, and you got the idea, pal."

"Indeed. Let's reach the Professor, then, I got a Pokémon to choose. Where's Zubat?"

"I managed to get the little brat in a Ball. Well, the Professor did, mostly. At least I know it won't run away if I somehow upset him."

"You should try to actually make friends with that Pokémon…" suggested Fabrizio.

"Yeah, easy for you to say, bud. It keeps staying with me, but it's like it's doing me a favor or something. You know the starter you gonna choose, by the way?"

"Not even close to. Besides, we're in front of the lab. Might be the time to get in."

"Yup! You go first, pal…" smiled Tom.

The other stayed still: "No, ladies first…"

Tom looked at Fabrizio like he wasn't sure wheter to laugh or not, then he punched him lightly on the shoulder: "What a comedian, uh…"

They entered together.

"Oh hello, boys! I was especially waiting for you, Fabrizio!" said Professor Elm, welcoming them. Tall and skinny, the scientist appeared mildly lost in thought as usual: "You'll have to make a fundamental choice, today. Come, your partner Pokémon is waiting for you!".

Tom stayed behind, leaning against the wall in his sleeveless shirt and baseball cap over very short dark hair. Fabrizio advanced toward the machine beside the table, where three shining Pokéballs laid in wait.

But something else caught his attention: a small dark Pokémon who had just came out from under the table, and was now looking curiously at the boy.

No, it wasn't looking at him.

In fact, it couldn't see at all. It didn't have any eyes.

The Pokémon was blue, quadrupedal, with the chest, neck and head covered in black fur, which spiked over the head in the form of a single horn.

Fabrizio was bewildered: that was a Pokémon of a species never seen in the Johto Region.

"Oh, so that's were you went hiding, you little rogue!" said Professor Elm, rushing over: "She just hatched from an Egg that was sent me from the Unova Region for study. It's a Deino… a Dark/Dragon Type Pokémon. She made friend with the other Pokémon I got from another Region."

He tried to pick Deino up, but the little creature wobbled sideways, smelling the hair, and got once more in front of Fabrizio.

"Seems she likes ya!" Tom chuckled from the door. A better luck than me and Zubat, sure thing…

Deino kept smelling the air in front of her.

"Uhm, Fabrizio, it's better for you to get out the way…"

"Why is that?"

"Well, the point is…"

Deino lunged forward, headbutting the boy's leg and almost tripping him over: "Whooah!" uttered Fabrizio, while trying to regain his balance. "That's why…" sighed the Professor: "Deino is a blind Pokémon. She examines everything by biting or ramming, because touch and taste are her best senses."

Fabrizio squatted to look closely at the Pokémon. He noticed several things about her. She was curious, and maybe seeking affection, but she was also strong. Like every young Pokémon, she was ready to grow and train, to express her strenght. But as for many Pokémon, she could have needed a Trainer to help her out.

Maybe you found yours, little girl. Or may I found you…

He moved the hand closer to her. Deino started smelling the air in that general direction and tried a delicate bite.

Fabrizio whitdrew the hand rapidly, and the young Pokémon's teeth snapped invain.

Then the boy reached for his pocket, and after a bit of rummaging he got out an unwrapped Pokéblock and offered it to Deino. The Pokémon smelled food, and reached forward, slowly.

Tom and Professor Elm followed the scene like they were hypnotized. Elm had completely forgotten to show the starter Pokémon to the teenager. Tom was remembering his meeting with Zubat, and the time that took him to make the Pokémon accept food from his hand.

True, Deino was born recently, and was thus more prone to affection, and it had been her to approach the boy first. But Tom and Elm were wondering if there could have been something else as well…

This time, Deino seemed to understand she needed to be delicate to not have Fabrizio withdraw the hand. And even though she couldn't see the boy's kind look, she somehow felt it. She leaned forward, cautiosly and slowly. Too slowly, actually.

Jumping out from another hidden corner of the table, a small orange shape dashed towards Fabrizio's hand and seized the Pokéblock, only to stumble clumsily and roll on herself while gulping the food.

Deino lunged lately and ended up biting the hand of the boy. Fabrizio resisted for a couple of second, then cried out violently for his poor fingers and jumped back, keeping a hand between his curly hair and shaking the other trying to put off the pain. After getting a hold of himself, he focused on the newcomer. He knew that. A small bird Pokémon, orange body and warm plumage, and a yellow three-feathered crest. A little Torchic, a Pokémon from the Hoenn Region.

It was now frisking around carelessly, not feeling guilty at all for the little disaster it caused.

"So there…" sighed again Professor Elm: "She's the other little rascal who made friends with Deino. They have a bizarre understanding of friendship, though."

As he spoke, the two Pokémon were wrapped around each other in a mini-brawl for the lost Pokéblock.

Tom looked at the only Pokéball strapped to his belt: "So they're both chicks?" he considered: "Dunno, I wouldn't like having female Pokémon… couldn't treat them the right way. What do you say, Fabrizio?"

"I got no preferences. Each Pokémon has its own character… how can you say you can't before trying?"

"I don't know, got no skill with girls as well…"

"Neither do I. Maybe it's simpler with Pokémon."

"Maybe depends on who you are." Mumbled Tom: "Maybe you're more suited for it."

Fabrizio stayed silent for a bit: "Or maybe you gotta have more trust in yourself." he finally sentenced.

Then silence came down on the lab for a moment, only interrupted by Torchic and Deino rolling against a shelf with a thud.

Fabrizio then remembered the reason for his visit: "Professor, didn't you have to show the Pokémon I had to choose as my partner?"

"Ehm… I don't think that's necessary anymore, actually."

"What?"

"Uh… It appears to me that you and this Pokémon…" he reflected, pointing at Deino: "…do have, let's say, the right affinity. I would say proceding with the starter's choice it's not necessary at this point, right?"

"Is that the right procedure, Professor?" intervened Tom.

Elm had a flair of pride: "Well, I believe that in my lab I should be the one deciding the right procedure. I reckon you're starting your journey with a Zubat I had to help you catch, is that right?"

"Oh… well, yes."

"Then, Fabrizio? What do you say?" went on Elm, speaking to the brown-haired teenager.

But the boy was already squatting down again to pet the little Pokémon's head. To the Professor, that was more of any answer. There was no need for Fabrizio to talk.

But he did anyway. He raised his head, without stopping to pet Deino's, and declared: "Yes!"

It starts with a dragon… how appropriate, considering why I'm leaving.

Then he stood up and walked towards Professor Elm: "I think I'll start my journey with this baby girl here. What do you say, Deino?" The only answer of the Dark Type Pokémon was a soft satisfied growl.

Elm exclaimed: "Well, then it's decided! It is my duty to entrust the Pokédex and Deino's Pokéball, alongside others for the journey to come."

At those words, the young Torchic ran towards Fabrizio and started pecking at his legs.

"Ok, this is definitely irregular…" considered Elm.

But the Pokémon wouldn't want to hear about stopping, and she followed Fabrizio around as he moved, to stay close to Deino.

"Ah!" uttered the boy: "I got it. Professor, I think she doesn't want to be separated from her friend… Professore, do you think that…?"

He left the question hanging in the air.

"Well… in this case… I believe yes!" Elm smiled.

"Hooray!" was Tom's comment: "Original right from the start, ain't ya? The Trainer who begins his Journey with two Pokémons, coming from outside Johto, nonetheless… you caught up with me in a flash. But we'll be even again, you bet on it!"

"So be it!" exclaimed Fabrizio, a radiant smile on his face, giving a high five to Tom.

The formalities were quickly expleted. The Professor gave Deino's Chic Ball and Torchic's Pokéball to Fabrizio, but the two Pokémon seemed to think otherwise, proceeding respectively at Fabrizio's side and on its bacpack. Elm gave both of them the Pokédex, the digital encyclopedia capable of registering Pokémon data when encountered or captured, and wished them good luck on the journey. A quick last goodbye to the family, an accurate gear check, and the pair was on the way in the grassy clearing of Route 29's woods, connecting New Bark Town to Cherrygrove City. Behind them, New Bark dove in the calm waters of Route 27, which led, in the end, all the way to the Kanto Region.

The huge, majestic silhohuette of Mount Silver stood out against the sky, backdrop, warning, and maybe destination of the quest the two boys and their Pokémon had set out to fulfill.

Just before leaving, the two of them had looked at their reflections in the waters of Route 27, like if they were looking tho who they had been, before heading towards what they would have become.

Tom, with his black sleeveless shirt, baseball cap and shoulder back, dark short air and confident epression.

And Fabrizio, a head of curly chaotic brown hair, a dream in his heart and the desire to fulfill it in his eyes, a black jacket over the shirt, backpack and black biker gloves. He had a dark bandanna with a stylized red Pokéball on it and the free "tails" fluttered in the calm breeze. They both looked up to the sky, and to the Mountain.

Tom, thinkind about the challenges and the Poison Type Pokémon he was about to meet, and what he should have done to become a Gym Leader…

And Fabrizio, recalling once last time the Dragon of that night in his mind.

Finally, they took their leave.

Half an hour later, the two had stopped walking in the lovable climate to take a break and eat lunch, surrounded by the songs of a group of Pidgeys, sadly too far away to be sighted.

Tom had started extracting sandwiches from his backpack (he carried the food for both), and setting up the tablecloth.

Fabrizio had got his notebook out and started drawing a sketch of Deino and Torchic. He liked to draw, even if he wasn't that impressive as an artist. After a while, Torchic started looking at the picture, fascinated.

Deino, for her part, tried to devour the paper.

Fortunately, after getting close more calmly, she smelled and poked the paper with her snout, once again as if she could somehow feel and appreciate what she couldn't see. Just too bad she ended up smearing the drawing on the whole paper, rendering it unrecognizable.

Memo to self: use a less liquid ink next time, and only ink when Deino is biting something else, thought Fabrizio, as he cleaned up the spots on the Pokémon's nose with a napkin, and Torchic seemed to chuckle to herself nearby.

Then Tom cried out loud, touching Fabrizio's shoulder: "Hey, look right there!"

With sound of light steps, something had ventured close, attracted by the smell of food, and now it was out in the open. A Poison Type Pokémon, with a belligerant look.

A male Nidoran was preparing to attack…

See you in Episode 2- A Look to a Different Gaze

Dedicated to all those who dream their own journey.