Well, here we are. My first fanfic, and to tell you the truth I'm kinda freaking out. I hope it goes down well with you wonderful people out there in The Big Wide World, so please review if you like it. Even if you don't like it, you can review. I like reviews. Well, I wouldn't actually know, as I've never written a fic before, so yeah...I should stop rambling now. This is my warped sense of humour put into writing, so don't be weirded out if it's a little fruitcakey. Anyway, ON WITH LE STORY! (Btw rated T because I am extremely paranoid, and I haven't finished writing this yet so I don't know how it's going to turn out. Better safe than sorry, yeah?)
Disclaimer: I no own Pokemon. The world would surely go up in flames if I did.
"Darling, it's time to get up!"
"Grrrrmmph...Huh? Wha...?" I opened my eyes and squinted in the light streaming in through the wide-open curtains. That's weird. I was sure I'd closed them last night. My mom was leaning over my bed, grinning happily.
"Today's the start of your Pokémon journey! Don't tell me you'd forgotten?"
I had. I leapt out of bed, swearing loudly before racing down the stairs and grabbing the first thing I found for breakfast. I passed my mother on the way back up, still chewing as I rushed to get changed. How in the world could I have forgotten? This was only the single-most important day of my entire life! I pulled on a pair of blue skinny jeans, a white three-quarter shirt and a pale blue short-sleeved jersey on overtop, then completed the outfit with a pair of black boots and some burgundy gloves. After checking myself in the mirror, I decided I was ready. My mother was waiting at the bottom of the stairs for me, and she frowned as I approached.
"Come now, darling. You could at least make an effort to look nice. This is a big day, after all."
"Mom!" I cried in dismay, gesturing at my attire. The woman grinned.
"I'm just joking, dear. You look wonderful. Better than your brother did on the start of his journey, anyway."
We both grinned at that. My older brother Red had never really cared about his appearance, and he'd hardly made an effort to dress up to go to the Pokémon Lab. Well, at least he'd had a shirt on, which is more than he did most days. I smiled and hugged my mother, and she clamped onto me so tightly I thought she was trying to break me in half.
"Mom...can't breathe..." I choked, and she released me almost immediately.
"I'm sorry dear, but I can't believe you've grown up so much in so little time. It feels like it was yesterday when I had to change your dirty nappies and feed you from the bottle..." She smiled sadly, and I blushed in embarrassment.
"Relax mom. I'll hardly be going far. I won't leave Kanto, I promise." She smiled through her tears and hugged me again.
"You're such a good girl, you know that, don't you?" I rolled my eyes.
"Yes, you've only told me eleventy-million times. Now come on, I'm going to be late!" She pulled away from me, frowning.
"Oh, Fentis Soul Ketchum...you always were the impatient one, weren't you?" I nodded hastily.
"Come on, mom! I have to-" I was interrupted by a knock on the front door, and my mom went to answer it. She came back a few seconds later, looking incredibly puzzled and holding a small cardboard box in her hand.
"What's up, mom? What's that?"
"I have no idea. There was no-one at the door when I went to check, there was only this. It's addressed to you, dear."
She held out the package, and I frowned before accepting it. My name was indeed written on the label in a very familiar messy scribble, and I opened the box carefully. There was a folded piece of paper in it, and I put the box on the table while I unfolded it. Hey there, sis! How're ya? I'm pretty good myself, thanks for asking. Haven't been doing much lately, but I'm getting in a lot of training. Well, here it is. The big day. The start of your own journey! (CLAPCLAPCLAPCLAPCLAP). I giggled. That was typical Red. He was such a clown. I read on. Now, I know you probably want to go and get a Pokémon from Professor Oak like I did, but there's something I want to ask of you. I know it's not really proper, but I think you'll like it. You never did like the rules, eh? Oh, back on topic. I thought it'd be cool if I got to choose your first Pokémon, and that's exactly what I've done, I've chosen one I know will benefit you greatly, but you still need to accept it. I hope you do, but you don't have to. You can always give it to mom and it can help her out around the house. I'm sure she'd have it dusting tables in 20 seconds flat! The Pokémon is in the Poké Ball (obviously) inside the box. If you don't like it, that's cool. Just give it a chance, please? Oh, would you look at that. I've been reduced to begging. Oh, woe is me! Alright, I think I've prattled on long enough. Have a good journey, sis! Who knows, I might see you around? Catch ya on the flip side! –Red. I blinked before looking in the box. There was indeed a Poké Ball inside, and I set down the letter and picked it up. My mother's eyes widened in shock, and I held my breath as I gently pressed the button in the middle of the ball. It burst open, and a Pokémon formed in the flash of white light. My eyes widened as the light faded, and I recognized it almost at once. It looked up at me, eyes wide and scared.
"...Pika?"
It was a Pikachu. I knelt down beside it and it shied away from me. I smiled, trying to be as comforting as I could.
"Hi. My name's Fentis. You know my brother, Red?" It nodded.
"He gave you to me, so I could start my journey. Do you want to be my Pokémon?" It made a confused face and shrugged its shoulders. It still looked scared, and I nodded.
"I get it, you're scared. So am I. I'm a new Trainer, so I have absolutely no experience with this sort of thing. Do you have any?" It shook its head.
"See? We're both rookies. We can learn together as we go. I won't ask anything of you that I wouldn't do myself, okay? And can I expect the same from you?" It stared up at me with big wide eyes, and then it nodded.
"Pika pika!" I blinked.
"I'll take that as a yes. Yay!" I scooped up the Pikachu in my arms and hugged it, and it hugged me back happily. I had a Pokémon! I was finally a Trainer!
"Yes, mom. I understand." I said, staring at something in the distance. I was standing at the entrance to Route 1, and my mother was lecturing me about various hygienic things I already knew, as she'd told me about 7 times this morning. It was like listening to a broken record. What made me nervous was Professor Oak beside her, staring at me intently. He'd given me a PokéDex when he'd stopped by to see why I hadn't showed up, and his face had positively glowed when he saw me and Pikachu. My mother had explained everything to him already, and I was raring to go. Pikachu sat on my shoulder, looking out at the Route that would be my first step onto the path of a Pokémon Trainer. We were both nervous, but as I'd said earlier we would learn from each other and boost our confidence until we were the best in the world! In my dreams, anyway.
"Fentis, are you even listening to me?" I jumped.
"Uh, of course. Don't worry mom, I'll be fine." She sighed.
"I know, but I can't help it. You're my baby girl, and I couldn't bear it if something happened to you. Oh, just the thought of it is making me regret this..." I laid a hand on her shoulder, smiling reassuringly.
"Mom, listen to me. Relax. Don't worry about me, I can handle myself. Besides, I won't be alone. I'll have Pikachu with me, right buddy?"
"Pikachu! Pika pika!" He chimed in. My mother smiled and took a deep breath.
"You're right, darling. But no matter how strong you get, you'll always be my little baby, understood?" I nodded.
"Yes, I know. Can I go now?"
"That depends. Have you got everything? Clean clothes? Underwear? Toothbrush?" I groaned and opened my mouth to complain, but Professor Oak beat me to it.
"Delia, I think it's time she left. This may be hard for you, but this is the second time you've had to do this. I thought you would've been used to it by now." She nodded.
"Oh, of course. I apologise, Fentis, but I can't help being a mother. It's what I am. Now, you go out and have fun, darling! Be sure to call if anything comes up!"
"I will! Bye!" I shouted, waving back to them as I walked away down Route 1. Soon they were out of sight, and I suddenly felt very small. I stood in place and looked around, not sure of where to go now.
"Pika..."
Pikachu nuzzled my cheek with his nose, and I reached up and petted him. I'd only met him this morning, but I already felt like I'd known him forever. It was like he belonged on my shoulder. I kept stroking him as we walked, and we didn't meet anyone until we reached Viridian City. It was bigger than I'd expected, and I could see the Gym looming over the small houses. I exchanged a glance with Pikachu before heading towards it, and I almost jumped out of my skin when someone ran towards me.
"Hey, you! Girl with the Pikachu!" I stopped and allowed him to catch up to me. He skidded to a halt right before we collided, hands on his knees and panting. He wasn't the youngest man around, or the most fit.
"Something up?" I asked, trying my best to be polite.
"Were you heading to the Gym?"
"Uh...yeah. Why, is something wrong?" He shook his head, and then frowned.
"No...yes...I don't know, but something's weird. The Gym's been locked for ages now, and there's been no sign of the Leader. No-one's been able to get in." I frowned.
"So there's no Leader?"
"Not at the moment. Sorry." I shrugged.
"Meh, that's probably a good thing. We only just started our journey this morning, so I don't really think we're ready for a Gym yet." He nodded.
"Well, if you've just started out I can recommend the Pewter City Gym. It's just on the other side of Viridian Forest. That might be a good place for you to start." I looked where he pointed, and I saw the winding path leading into the thick cluster of trees. I nodded slowly.
"It looks like a little bit of a maze."
"Oh, it is. Apparently people have gotten lost in there. It took them about a week to get back out." He must have seen the look on my face, for he slapped me on the back comfortingly.
"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be fine." He said, walking away and waving over his shoulder at me. I waved back slightly awkwardly, and turned to Pikachu.
"What do you think we should do now?" He nudged me with his nose, as though saying it was my decision. I sighed.
"Very helpful." I looked around the city, scouting out something to do when I caught sight of a blue-roofed building. I walked towards it curiously, and when I entered I froze. I was washed over with the smell of new things, and my eyes scanned the shelves of Poké Balls, Potions and various other things I couldn't identify.
"Hey, you! Did you come from Pallet Town?" I jumped and looked around for who'd shouted at me. It was the man behind the counter, and when I nodded he beckoned me over.
"Professor Oak's order just came in. Could you take it to him for me?" I blinked.
"Sure...I guess." He beamed from ear to ear.
"Thank you! Here you go!" He handed me the parcel and I held it carefully. He smirked.
"Don't worry, it's not easily breakable. Just don't throw it around, okay?" I nodded and headed out of the store, and then I sighed. Looks like I'd be going home sooner than anticipated. To speed up the journey I sprinted down Route 1, Pikachu clinging to my shoulder to avoid being thrown off. He squeaked in alarm as I leapt from a ledge, landing on my feet and took off again. I raced to the lab and stopped for a moment to catch my breath, and then I walked in. This was only the second time I'd been in here, the first being when Red got his first Pokémon. That seemed like a long time ago, even though it'd only been a few months. No-one paid me any attention as I walked through the building. New Trainers were coming in here all the time, so I was nothing new. I walked up to the Professor in the back, and tapped him on the shoulder. He jumped and whirled to face me, his face breaking into a grin of relief.
"Oh, it's just you, Fentis! You almost gave me a heart attack! I didn't expect to see you back here so soon. Has something happened?" He frowned in concern and I shook my head.
"No, everything's good. Someone from the Viridian Poké Mart gave me this to give to you." I handed him the package and his face lit up.
"Ah, it's the custom Poké Ball I ordered! Thank you for doing that." I opened my mouth to speak but was interrupted by a loud, obnoxious voice coming from the doorway.
"I'm here, Gramps! What did you need me for?"
It was Blue, the younger brother of my neighbour Daisy Oak, and the identical twin of Green. Green is Red's biggest rival on his journey. When we were little, those two fought all the time. I spent most of my time over there with Daisy, talking about stuff and comparing our brothers. She kept saying I had it lucky, having only one, and she kept trying to give me one of hers. I always said if I took Green, he and Red would end up killing each other and Blue would probably drive him mad. He was the witty one of the family, and was always making sarcastic comments about Red, who never understood them. I wouldn't have minded having him around, but he didn't seem to like me very much. Blue approached us, but froze when he saw me.
"What's she doing here?" He asked coldly. I flinched, and Pikachu whimpered.
"Relax, Blue. She was delivering a parcel for me from Viridian City. Now, as for why I called you here..." He turned around and began rummaging in the piles of stuff he had around the place. It all seemed very disorganised to me, but the scientists who worked here never had any trouble finding stuff. As he dug, I could feel Blue's eyes on me. I turned to face him.
"What?"
"Are you on your journey?"
"Yeah, I just started this morning. As you can guess, I haven't gotten very far yet." He nodded.
"Is that your Pokémon?" He pointed at Pikachu, and I nodded.
"Yep, this is Pikachu. Pikachu, this is Blue Oak. He lives next door to me and Red."
"Pika! Pikachu!" Exclaimed the mousey Pokémon, smiling at the boy. He smiled back.
"Is your journey fun? Well, what you've done of it?"
"Like I said, I haven't done much, but it's great. Travelling with Poké something I would never put a price on, but you can't just take my word from it. You might have a very different experience from me. I doubt we'll have exactly the same Pokémon and ideas about our trips, but I can guarantee you'll learn stuff you never would've learnt before. I've learnt plenty of stuff already, and I only just started!"
He stared at me for a bit, and then nodded seriously. I was surprised at his attitude, actually. He hadn't had a single go at me. Then again, now that I thought about it he was never mean to me, only Red. This realization made me zone out a little, and I was shocked back to reality by Professor Oak.
"Aha! Found it!" He shouted in triumph, coming back to us from where he'd gotten halfway across the room on his hunt. He held a Poké Ball in his hand, and Blue stared at it.
"What's that for, Gramps?" the professor grinned.
"Now that Fentis has begun her journey, you're the only kid around your age left in Pallet Town. I know you don't want that, and neither do I. So I thought, why don't you go on a journey as well?" Blue blinked.
"...What are you trying to say?"
"I'm saying you can go on a Pokémon journey, starting today! If you want to, that is. What do you say?" The boy nodded slowly.
"I'd like that. A lot."
"I thought you might. Here is your first Pokémon. I hope you don't mind that I chose it for you?" He shook his head as he took the ball.
"Not at all, Gramps. You do have a little experience with things like this, so I trust your judgement."
He opened the ball, and both Pikachu and I leant forward to see what Blue's first Pokémon would be. When the light cleared, a tiny brown fox Pokémon was sitting on the floor in front of him, and it looked around with wide eyes. He stared at it, and I had to restrain myself from laughing. His face was priceless.
"Gramps...what kind of Pokémon is this?" Professor Oak grinned happily.
"That's an Eevee. It's quite a rare Pokémon, actually."
"A rare Pokémon?" He asked, staring at Eevee sceptically.
"Eevee?" It said, staring up at him. My heart just melted and I dropped to my knees beside it.
"Hi, Eevee. I'm Fentis, and this is my friend Pikachu!"
"Pika!" The mouse chimed in, smiling at Eevee. It blinked at me, and then tilted its head to one side.
"Eevee? Eevee?"
I looked up at Blue, who looked unsure of what to do. I gestured to sit and he sat on the tiled floor, staring at the small Pokémon which was supposed to be his. When he didn't do anything, I sighed.
"Come on, Blue. Talk to it." The Eevee looked up at him, and scuttled back a bit. I think his hair made it nervous. That made me smile.
"Uh...hi, Eevee. My name's Blue."
"Eevee!" It exclaimed, darting over to him and rubbing its cheek against his leg. I had to resist gushing in a rather embarrassing way. Blue just sat and stared, and I almost slapped him.
"Come on, pat it."
He stroked its back gently, and I swear it was purring. He grinned and started playing with its ears, and it jumped on him and knocked him over. I watched in amusement as it licked and tickled his face, and he laughed uncontrollably.
"Eevee! S-stop it! Please!"
It took a while to get the hyperactive fox-dog off him, but it refused to budge from his lap as it curled up, purring. Pikachu and I exchanged a glance.
"Well, that's one way to make friends with a Pokémon."
"Pika." He said, nodding. I stood up and helped Blue to his feet, and Eevee leapt onto his shoulder to avoid falling to the floor. I imagined it would be quite hard. We both turned when Professor Oak cleared his throat, and I could've seen his grin from the other side of the room.
"Now that you've finished bonding, I can give you these." He gave Blue a PokéDex, some Potions and five empty Poké Balls. He stared at me for a moment, and then gave me some too.
"You can catch other Pokémon in these when you meet them. Always make sure you've got plenty, because a Pokémon might take more than one ball to catch. Well, that's about it from me. You two should get going. And thank you again for the package, Fentis."
"No problem. See ya round!" I called, waving as I left the Lab. Blue came out after me, and when we were alone he sighed.
"Something wrong?" I asked. He shook his head.
"No, it's just that I'm not sure if I want to go on a journey just yet. I mean, I'd be leaving Daisy all alone..." He trailed off, staring down at his feet. I glanced at Pikachu, and he shot me a sad look.
"Blue, you don't have to go on a journey if you don't want to." He stared up at me, his brown eyes wide and confused.
"But I'm thirteen now, I'm supposed to. And I can't let Eevee down." The Pokémon looked up at the sound of its name, and seemed to sense that Blue was sad. He stretched out his neck and nuzzled the boy's cheek, which made him squeeze the little fox tightly. I sighed.
"Listen to me, Blue. You don't have to go on a journey as soon as you turn a certain age. Remember my brother? He waited almost a year until I could join him, and he didn't care at all. Besides, I don't think Eevee really cares whether you go on a journey or not, as long as she can be with you."
"Eevee!" The Pokémon cried. It seemed to agree with me, and Blue sighed again.
"I think I'll go home and talk to Daisy about it." He began to walk away, but then he stopped and turned back to me.
"...Can you come with me? You're good at talking, and Daisy likes you." I frowned but nodded, walking with him to his house. He opened the door and we walked inside to see his sister sitting on the couch, drinking tea and watching TV. She looked up as the door closed, and bounced from her seat.
"Fentis! I thought you left already?"
"I did, but I came back for something. I should be going again soon though." She nodded, and then turned to Blue. The first thing she noticed was the Eevee in his arms, and she screeched so loudly I thought the windows were going to shatter.
"Aww! This is your Pokémon? It's adorable! What's it called?"
"Eevee." The older woman smiled and knelt down to see eye-to-eye with Eevee, who stared back intently. She reached out and petted his head softly, and he mewed in pleasure. Daisy glanced back up at Blue.
"So, when are you going?"
"Well, that's the-hey, wait. Since when did you know I was going somewhere?" She grinned even wider.
"Well, duh! Who do you think was the one to pop the idea into Gramps' head? He certainly didn't think of it himself. He still forgets our names! So, when are you off?"
"Woah woah, slow down a little. What makes you think I'd want to go on a journey? I might want to stay here." She frowned at him and crossed her arms across her chest.
"We both know that's just ridiculous. All kids your age go on journeys. I know you want to be like your brother, so I'm giving you the chance for you to do it. Why do you keep arguing?" He stared down at his feet and didn't say anything, and Daisy nodded in understanding.
"Ah, I get it. You think I won't be able to handle myself here on my own. I'll be fine, seriously. Besides, I'll have Delia next door if I ever need company. Don't you worry about me, brother. Let me worry about you. Now go and have some fun." Blue was almost crying now, and he rushed up to Daisy and hugged her tightly. She hugged him back, and rolled her eyes over his shoulder at me. I nodded, grinning. When Blue released her she went into a closet and pulled out a backpack full of things. He stared as she handed it to him.
"How long have you had this packed?"
"A while. Now get going. Don't forget to have fun!"
"We will. I'll make sure of it." I said, leading him out the door to begin our journeys. For real this time.
So, what did you think? It's the first chapter, so there's lots of explaining to do and background to make up, so it's probably not the most amazing thing you've ever read. Never mind. If you like it (or not) please review. I'd love t get your feedback. If you have questions, just PM me. I get lonely :( NAHT. Thanks for reading! (The title is open to change, if anyone wants to suggest something).