Pallet Town
JOSH
The sun rose and cast a golden glow over Pallet Town. Josh lived with his mom and little brother in the house furthest south, closest to the beach. He positioned his bed along the eastern wall of the loft and left his curtains open on purpose the night before. As he hoped, the sunlight poured through his window and woke him up well before his alarm.
"No," he mumbled aloud, throwing the covers of his head. "Wait!"
In a whirlwind he kicked the blanket free and moved to his dresser where his special outfit for this special day waited for him. Black jean shorts, a white tank top with rainbow design, running shoes, high socks, and a red plaid shirt to tie around his waist. His official Indigo League cap came in the mail the night before. Most were red and white with the emblem embroidered in green, but his mom special-ordered one for him. This one was all black, and the emblem was embroidered in deep violet thread.
Tugging the hat over his mess of dirty blond bedhead, Josh gave his appearance one more look. Blue eyes shining bright, he turned and took the stairs three at a time, tripped, and ended up rolling into his brother Nick with a crash. Still in his pajamas, his little brother gnashed his teeth as he stood. He looked like a shorter, younger version of Josh.
"Watch where you're going!"
"Get out of my way," Josh snapped. "I got places to be."
He bolted for the door but his mom reached out and caught him by the belt. Her vice grip on his britches kept him from moving another inch. Taller than Josh by only a few inches, his mother possessed a surprising strength to hold him in place.
"Slow down before you hurt yourself or someone else," she scolded, her eyes alight like blue fire. She brushed her layered brown-and-blonde hair behind her ears with her free hand. "Apologize to your brother and sit down to eat breakfast."
"Sorry, Nick!" Josh called out, not even bothering to give him a glance. "I don't have time for breakfast! I have to get to Professor Oak's lab before Tanner and Caleb get there."
"You're eating breakfast!"
His mom dragged him by the ear and sat him down at the table where a stack of pancakes and a glass of milk waited for him. Rather than fight with her, Josh covered his breakfast in maple syrup, gobbled it down, and chugged the milk.
"Okay!" he announced. "Leaving now! Bye!"
Before he could reach the door, his mother grabbed him again, this time in a fierce, motherly embrace. His demeanor softened as he turned to return the hug. There were tears in her eyes when he looked up to meet her gaze.
"I know all boys leave home eventually, but I'm still sad to see you go."
"Mom," he complained. "I'll come back and visit, I promise."
"You'll be in good hands with Caleb; he's so responsible. But the idea of you traveling the region with Tanner makes me nervous. Don't let him get you into any trouble, you hear me?"
"We'll be fine," Josh said. "I love you, I'll miss you, and can I please go now?"
"Go! Get your first Pokémon but promise me you'll come back before you leave Pallet Town; I have a present for you."
"A present!" Josh raised his eyebrows in curious delight. "Can't you give it to me now?"
"Look!" Nick said, looking out the kitchen window. "Tanner's already on his way to Professor Oak's lab! Better hurry or he'll pick the Pokémon you want!"
Josh turned to growl at his brother before he finally cleared the threshold of his house and stepped into the bright morning air. Sunny, with only a few clouds, he could not have asked for a better day to start his adventure. His front porch offered a tremendous view of the beach and ocean outstretched towards the horizon. He caught sight of some wild Wingull flying overhead, squawking in unharmonious chorus. He ran and leapt down all four stairs, using the momentum to continue his stride to the white wooden gate at the end of his yard.
"Meowth!"
His family pet yowled at him on his way out, but Josh ignored him. The cantankerous old cat loved his mom and brother but always left Josh with bright red scratches if he so much as looked in his direction. He was an outside cat and worked to chase the wild Rattata away; they liked to get into his mom's berry garden.
Josh lived closest to the lab of the three boys, and while he could see Tanner booking it down the hill from his house on the other side of town, he'd never reach the lab first. A victorious smile of elation parted Josh's lips as he opened the double doors and stepped into the lab. Scientific equipment manned by research aides filled the first section. As he hoped, Professor Oak waited in the back behind shelves filled with books and binders.
"Good morning, Professor!"
"Josh! Good morning! You're early."
"You said whoever arrives first gets to pick first, right? So, I'll take my Squirtle now."
"I did say that, didn't I?" Professor Oak chuckled. His smiled crinkled his eyes and he ran his fingers through his blond-gray hair. Dressed in a lab coat over a maroon button-up and khakis, Samuel Oak looked exactly like one might imagine a Pokémon professor would. He shot a bushy-eyebrowed glance at the table to his left and Josh followed his gaze. Three Pokéballs waited on display like fruit ripening on a tree, just waited to be plucked. Absentmindedly, Josh walked with hand outstretched for the one he knew contained Squirtle.
"Let's wait until the others get here," Professor Oak interjected. "I know you're eager to start your adventure, but there's some things I need to go over before you boys set out. I'd rather not repeat myself; I'm a busy man, you know."
Josh deflated and took a step back, eyes glued to the entrance in anticipation for Tanner to come bursting through the door. While he only had to wait about forty-five seconds or so, it seemed like an eternity before his friend finally caught up.
"Took you long enough!" Josh called out.
"Nice to see you too!" Tanner shot back. He was tall for his age, taller than Professor Oak. Dressed in blue jean cut-offs, a black t-shirt with an Oshawott's face printed on it, sturdy leather boots coming to the shin, and a custom Indigo League hat. His was blue and white with a pink emblem. Josh rolled his eyes. He had hoped to be the only one of them to get a custom hat, but he supposed he shouldn't have been surprised.
"Good morning, Tanner!"
"Morning, Prof! Did you hear a romp of Oshawott migrated from Unova and made their home at the Seafoam Islands right here in Kanto?"
"I did! It's an exciting prospect to think of all the species migrating to one region or another around the world. Decades ago, we only had one hundred and fifty-one in ours."
Boring.
Josh tuned out while he and Tanner talked about how sea otter Pokémon from the Unova region acted as the water starter for new young trainers there. Eyes glued to the Pokéball with the one he wanted, he found himself checking his phone every thirty seconds or so.
Come on, Caleb! Where are you?
The doors to the lab opened once more. Caleb, taller than Josh but shorter than Tanner, walked in with a backpack strapped to his back. His hat was the classic red-and-white with a green emblem on the front. He wore a gray t-shirt with a Noctowl print, dark blue jeans, and black hiking boots. His black and red backpack look stuffed to the max.
"Good morning, Professor Oak!" Caleb greeted. Josh wanted to be mad at him for making him wait, but something about his big brown eyes and charming smile kept his impatience at bay.
He's worth the wait.
"You're late," Josh blurted.
Caleb raised an eyebrow and checked his phone. "I'm five minutes early."
"That's like a million years late in Pokémon trainer time!"
"Maybe if the two of you would stop bickering like an old married couple, the Professor could give us his speech, let us pick our starters, and send us on our way!" Tanner interjected.
This put a stop to the back-and-forth sass and provoked a chuckle from the Professor. He smoothed his coat, put on his glasses, and reached into his pocket for some index cards. Josh found it hard to believe the man didn't have it memorized considering how many times he'd said it over the years.
"Hello there! Welcome to the world of Pokémon! My name is Oak! People call me the Pokémon Prof! This world is inhabited by creatures called Pokémon! For some people, Pokémon are pets. Others use them for fights. Myself...I study Pokémon as a profession…"
The lack of sleep and sheer boredom of having to wait tugged like weights at Josh's eyelids as he nodded off a few times. Caleb gave him a hard jab to the ribs at the last one. Josh gave him a dirty look but he replied with a smile and a wink. Like magic, the anger faded as the professor finished his speech.
"…it's a dangerous world out there to travel alone. That's why I'm gifting each of you a starter Pokémon. There are three of them and three of you. As I promised, the boy who arrived first today gets to pick first. Go ahead, Josh."
Having waited for this moment his entire life, Josh reached out and snagged the ball with Squirtle. Emotions he did not expect came roiling up inside him as he held it in his hands. To think his very first of many Pokémon companions lived inside this tiny ball blew his mind. All he needed to do was press the button, toss the ball, and out he'd come.
Or she.
He checked the stats on the console where the ball once stood on display. His Squirtle was male, but most were. He was delighted to find out that his Pokémon possessed a rare ability: Rain Dish. Rather than blurt it out in his excitement to his friends (and soon-to-be rivals) he kept it to himself and took a step back to give Tanner his chance.
"You had first choice and you didn't choose Charmander?!" Tanner exclaimed. With wild laughter, he rushed up and snagged the PokéBall with the famous fire starter so popular among new, young trainers. "It's female! How lucky! Hey, Caleb! What does "hidden ability solar power" mean?"
"It means on a bright, sunny day like today, your Charmander's special attacks will pack an extra wallop," Caleb replied. "Right, Professor?"
"Right you are, Caleb!"
Caleb walked up and plucked the PokéBall with Bulbasaur. He did so with a smile, but Josh knew from many talks and many sleepover parties Caleb had his heart set on Squirtle. After doing what he called "extensive research" he determined the best competitive choice for the Kanto region. He cited source after source and convinced Josh a thousand times over. Caleb wanted to be a Pokémon Professor someday, not a league champion; Josh needed Squirtle if he was going to reach his goals. Caleb could make do with Bulbasaur and catch a good water Pokémon—of that Josh had no doubt.
"A male with the hidden ability chlorophyll," Caleb announced. "He'll make a good battle partner for your Charmander."
"What does chlorophyll do?" Tanner asked, scratching his head.
"The speed of Pokémon with the chlorophyll ability doubles on a bright sunny day."
"Sounds like you've been doing a lot of studying, Caleb," Professor Oak praised. "You'll do well at the Pokémon University when the time comes."
"They changed the rules this year," Caleb said. "There's no longer an age requirement, so all I have to do is make an appointment to take the placement test."
"Which campus do you plan to attend? Celadon? Saffron?"
"Cinnabar Island," Caleb said with a smile.
"What about us?" Josh demanded. "You told me you were going with me and Tanner all the way to the Indigo League!"
"I did," Caleb replied, "and I am. It's never too early to plan for the future."
"Well, can we plan for the immediate future and get out of here?" Josh pressed.
"Always in such a hurry," Tanner said with a tsk-tsk. "You need to learn to stop and smell the roses once in a while."
"I'll stop and smell the roses once my name is in the Hall of Fame," Josh countered. "Let's go already!"
"North of here is Route 1 and Viridian City. I'm expecting a package to arrive at the Item Shop there. If one of you boys wouldn't mind picking it up for me and delivering it here I'll make it worth your while."
Josh let out his frustration in a demonstrative huff. The idea of traveling miles up the road only to turn around and come home sounded terrible. He liked Professor Oak, but couldn't he send one of his aides to do it?
"You can count on us, Professor!" Tanner said.
"Speak for yourself," Josh muttered under his breath.
By the time the three of them left the lab, Josh was ready to head north and hit the tall grass. Any wild Pokémon daring enough to pounce on him could look forward to facing his Squirtle in battle and helping to make him stronger.
"We ready, boys?" Tanner asked, throwing one arm over Josh's shoulder and the other over Caleb's. He squeezed them with rough affection and let out a hoot of elation.
"I've got to make a quick stop by my house before we go," Josh said.
"Really?" Caleb complained. "You were in such a hurry to get going and now you have to go home?"
"That's why I wanted to get going," Josh snapped. "It won't take long. Come on; you can wait for me outside."
He jogged to his house, not bothering to see if Tanner and Caleb followed. Meowth tried to rub against his leg, yowling for attention. When Josh failed to reciprocate, the nasty cat let loose with Fury Swipes at his leg but missed.
"Stupid cat!"
"Don't be mean to him," Tanner called out. He turned his attention to Meowth, speaking to him in affectionate baby-talk. "He's just a widdle-wuv-bug, isn't he?"
Rolling his eyes, Josh opened the front door of his house and found his mom and brother sitting at the kitchen table waiting for him. A box wrapped in colorful, polka-dot patterned paper waited for him.
"Who'd you pick?" Nick asked.
"Squirtle! Who'd you think I'd pick?"
"Just like your dad," his mom said, beaming. "He'd be so proud of you."
Josh's dad died a few years ago. He missed him terribly and it still pained him to think about it, but he liked to hear his mom say things like that. His eyes moved to the wall where pictures covered most of the space. There were photos of his parents' wedding, the day he was born, the day Nick was born, and lots of the four of them together. Another wall featured professional nature photos of wild Pokémon his father shot on his journey to the Indigo League. Many of his photos were published in scientific journals including Pokémon Geographic.
"Well, go on!" Nick said. "Open your present!"
Josh wasted no time ripping the paper to shreds. He tore the tape loose, peered into the box, and stopped. Slow, and with care, he reached down into the box. He recognized it, having seen it on the mantle of the fireplace in his dad's office a thousand times; it was his camera. A canvas carrying case, extra batteries, a charger, and memory cards lay at the bottom of the box.
"Mom…I…"
"You don't have to say anything. I know things have been hard around here without your dad, but he would have wanted you to have this. Every time I look at you, I see his face staring back at me. You're so much like him. Take this with you on your journey and make sure to capture the memories you want to cherish forever. I'm clearing a spot on the wall to frame them, so don't let me down! I expect my inbox to be flooded with digital prints every day, mister!"
He set the camera down gently and gave his mom a hug. His little brother came in behind him and the three of them stood, embraced, cried, and gave each other proper goodbyes.
"I'm going to miss you," Nick said as Josh moved to the door.
"I'm going to miss you too, little brother," he replied giving his hair a good ruffling. After he put the memory cards, chargers, cords, and extra lenses in their proper places in his bag, he left the house to find his friends playing with Meowth.
"Took you long enough!" Tanner teased, echoing Josh from earlier.
"You okay?" Caleb asked. "You look like you've been crying."
"I was," Josh admitted, "but it was the good kind of crying. Before we go, I want to take a picture; I want to remember this day forever."
Josh posed them for a selfie and snapped the shutter. Just his luck, Meowth photo-bombed them by leaping onto Tanner's shoulder and digging his claws in, evidently not done with the ear scratches and tummy rubs.
"We can take another one," Caleb suggested, looking at the digital preview.
"Nah," Josh said with a smile. "It's perfect."
"Just like you," Caleb said with a wink. He leaned over an planted a kiss on Josh's cheek, making him blush.
"Not in front of Tanner!" Josh whined.
"Oh, please! Like I haven't seen the two of you stealing kisses when you think on one's looking. You're not fooling anyone!"
Josh punched Tanner in the gut.
"Not so loud! I don't want my mom or Nick to hear!"
And with that, the three friends set off to start their adventure. Ahead of them, Route 1 and Viridian City awaited. Josh kept his fingers crossed to encounter other trainers to defeat in battle and earn prize money along the way. Nothing was going to stand in his way!