Chapter 1 – Where it all began
I swatted at the small bird flitting around my head, moving deeper under the covers.
"Oh, Pidgey, 5 more minutes!" I pleaded, groaning.
But then I sat bolt upright, accidentally knocking the poor Pidgey back down the stairs, into the kitchen.
"EMMA! Get DOWN here, before I send Nidoking to get you up!" my mother yelled, obviously upset that I'd practically knocked out her Pidgey.
Before she could finish, I was dressed and running to the kitchen. I was very excited, and for a good reason, too.
"Finally! That took forever, Emma! Now, before you leave –"
"Sorrymomgottagobye!" I said, not even looking at her.
Today was the day I would begin my journey. Today was the day I would receive my first Pokémon! I ran to Professor Oak's lab. I already knew exactly which Pokémon I would choose, and I'd come early like the Professor said I could if I wanted to.
"Aha! There you are, Emma! Bright and early, as I expected!"
Now, I know you're thinking, "But your mom said you took forever to get up! How are you early?" My mother's perspective on "early" is different than most people's. To her, early is 4:30 AM. Right now, it was about 6:00 AM. So yeah, I was early.
"You even got here before my grandson Gary. Goodness, Ash isn't even here yet! And he seemed to be almost as excited as you, if not more!"
"Ha! Nobody is more excited than I am! I already know which Pokémon I'd like! I've been thinking about it for months!" I replied eagerly.
"Really? Well then, which one would you like? As you know, I have Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle."
"Bulbasaur! Bulbasaur is the best!" I cried happily. I really wanted a Bulbasaur. It's strong, has cool moves like Vine Whip, and it's really cute! When it becomes a Venusaur, it's one of the strongest Pokémon out there! Also, it's a Grass/Poison combination, which I think it really cool!
"Haha! Bulbasaur it is, then! Here you go!" Professor Oak handed me a Pokéball. I pressed the button, and red energy shot out, taking the form of a Bulbasaur!
"Bulba-SAUR!" He said happily, smiling and jumping up on me.
I picked him up, laughing, "Oh, you're so cute, Bulbasaur! I can't wait to start my adventure with you! We'll catch tons of Pokémon!"
"Saur!" He agreed.
"It looks like you two are getting along well already! As you know, Emma, I'm also going to supply you with a Pokédex and your Trainer Card. Cherish them both, as they are very important to you and your journey." Professor Oak handed me the items.
"Good luck!" he said.
"Thank you! I'll be sure to update you as often as I can!" I replied, waving as I walked out the door.
As I turned to leave, Gary Oak walked in. Or, should I say, barreled through the doorway, and almost knocked Bulbasaur and I all the way to Saffron City.
"Gary Oak is here! And I'm ready for my Pokémon, Grandpa!" Gary said, with a smug grin plastered on his face.
"Well look what we have here. It's Emma. And by the looks of it, you chose a weak little BULBASAUR as your companion! What a lame choice."
He gave me a look that started a fire inside me, making me want to rip him apart. Even though he's a big jerk to me, it's a well-known fact that he's had a crush on me since Kindergarten. Everybody would laugh as he chased me around the playground trying to kiss me. Did I enjoy it? Not so much. And I still felt the same way. For all I cared, Gary could be marooned on the Seafoam Islands, and I would carry on like nothing happened.
"Since fire is strong against grass, I'll be taking Charmander!" He declared, taking the Pokéball from the Professor.
"Ok. Here's your Pokédex and Trainer Card, Gary. Don't lose them!"
"I won't!" Gary said. "Hey, Emma! Let's have a battle! I'll show you how much cooler Charmander is than Bulbasaur!"
"Ugh, whatever. But just because you have a type advantage doesn't mean you'll win this battle!" I replied, staring angrily into his eyes.
From the looks of it, my new Bulbasaur wanted to pummel Gary as much as I did. That only made me more confident that we would win!
"Go, Bulbasaur!"
"Charmander, I choose you!"
And the battle began.
"Bulbasaur, use Growl!"
"Charmander, Scratch!"
After I used Growl for a few turns, Charmander's Scratch attacks were barely doing any damage.
"Ok, Bulbasaur! Tackle that Charmander!"
Bulbasaur jumped at the Charmander ferociously, catching it off guard. Dang, Bulbasaur was fast! I watched as it smashed into Charmander and knocked it into the wall. However strong Bulbasaur's attack was, Charmander had withstood it. Gary looked startled, though, which was good.
"Bulbasaur, get him one more time! That should do the trick!" I commanded.
Bulbasaur threw itself at the poor Charmander, who was cowering in fear of the grass type, which didn't make any sense. Then Bulbasaur collided with Charmander, and the match was over. Pidgeys were circling Charmander's head, as Gary grimaced and said,
"Charmander, return! Good job out there. Bulbasaur's tougher than I thought."
"So, Gary. Are you sure that Bulbasaur is weak?" I smirked.
"We'll get you later, Emma. I'm taking Charmander outside to train."
Gary walked out the door without another word.
"Here, let me take a look at Bulbasaur."
The Professor said. He placed his Pokéball in a machine, and with a few beeps, a short melody played, and the Professor took out the Pokéball, handing it to me.
"Bulbasaur should be better now. The battle did some damage to him."
"Thanks, Professor!"
Then, another kid walked in. Hoping it was Ash, I turned, as I wanted to battle against him. But it was Cameron, my quiet neighbor.
"Hey there, Cameron!" I said cheerfully.
"Oh, um, hi." He replied, obviously nervous about what was going on. "I came for my Pokémon, Professor. Do you have any Squirtles left?"
"As a matter of fact, it's the only one left! Here you go!" The Professor handed him his Pokéball, Trainer Card, and Pokédex. "Don't lose these! They're essential to your journey! You'd be at a loss without them."
"Thanks, Professor." And with that, Cameron hurried out the door.
"Ok, well, I'll be going now, I guess. Bye, Professor!" I waved as I walked out the door.
"Goodbye, Emma! And good luck!"