The Next Generation
"Happy birthday!" The room erupted with noise as David leaned forward and blew out the fourteen candles that adorned his huge, chocolate birthday cake. Everybody clapped and the cake was cut.
David smiled as he was handed the first chunk of cake. He was fourteen! He was finally old enough to look after and train Pokemon, and so could begin his Pokemon journey. He took a huge bite out of the cake in celebration.
David was sitting in his dining room with a selection of family and friends. There was his Mum, with her long brown hair hanging over her face as she laughed and joked with Mrs Fallworth, their next-door neighbour. Then there was David's Dad, who was in charge of cutting the cake. He had thick, greying-hair and sharp green eyes that missed nothing.
George and Sam, David's two best friends, were there also, chatting away aimlessly and scoffing down the chocolate cake. They too were fourteen, but their birthdays had been a lot earlier on in the year. David's was in August, meaning that he would always be one of the youngest in his school year. Sam was the taller and leaner of the two boys with blue eyes and dark blonde hair that always looked a mess. George was on the smaller side, with a slightly plumper body-shape. He had brown hair that was brushed forwards into a stylish fringe and green eyes. They were both very funny, constantly cracking jokes and because of this they got on with everybody at school. However, neither of them particularly liked Pokemon, and so were not too interested in going off on a journey to become Pokemon trainers.
Finally there was Mrs Fallworth and her son, Andy. He was the same age as David, having celebrated his birthday a couple of weeks before. Andy had sleek, well looked after black hair, and dark eyes that glared out from under his fringe disdainfully. David knew that Andy would rather be anywhere than there at that moment, and to be honest, David would rather Andy be somewhere else as well. David and Andy had never quite met eye to eye as their two personalities were like chalk and cheese; they weren't meant to go together.
David himself had brown messy hair that never stayed as he wanted it, no matter how hard he tried to brush it into place. Along with this, he had blue eyes and a couple of freckles dotted across his nose. David's dream was to become a Pokemon Master, one of the top Pokemon trainers around. To achieve this goal he would have to travel the lands, defeating anybody that stood in his way, which was soon to include Andy, as he too was to set off on his journey the next day.
Licking the last smears of chocolate off of his fingers, David leant back in his chair. His birthday party had come to an end. Seeing that David had finished, his Dad stood up and cleared his throat. The room fell silent.
"Well," he began, "thank you all for coming and I hope that you have all enjoyed yourselves."
There was a murmur of almost unanimous agreement at this. The sore thumb, as usual, was Andy, who sat with his arms folded and didn't say a word.
"So, the time has finally come for our son David to set off on his Pokemon journey," continued David's Dad, smiling proudly. "I hope I speak for us all in wishing him luck and courage for his journey ahead."
Sam and George nodded and patted David on the back.
"Now," began David's Dad, "we come to the small matter of David's first Pokemon..."
"Small matter?" exclaimed Sam, and everyone laughed; even Andy's lips twitched slightly upwards.
David's Dad chuckled. "The local Pokemon Professor, Professor Willow, is giving a Pokemon to beginner trainers to help them kick-start their journeys. These Pokemon include Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle, and the hand out will commence tomorrow." David's Dad looked at David at this point. "This is no small matter, absolutely. You should know that the Pokemon you choose will be your long-term partner and friend, and so this decision should not be taken lightly."
David nodded solemnly. He already knew all of this and had spent hours pondering over which Pokemon to choose. Even after all of that time though, he was still none the wiser as to whom he would like out of the three to be his long-term partner.
"This is not only a challenge for David though; Andy Fallworth will also be undertaking this huge decision tomorrow!"
Everybody looked at Andy who shrugged as if he couldn't care less. "No big deal, I have already chosen if you must know."
David clenched his fists angrily. Andy was treating this decision as if it didn't even matter!
David's Dad nodded before turning away from Andy. David could see that he too was angry at Andy's remark. "Now that's all said and done then, thank you all for coming and we hope you have enjoyed yourselves!"
At this, everyone began to chatter amongst themselves again and slowly head towards the front door.
Andy and Mrs Fallworth were the first to leave, with Mrs Fallworth wishing David the best of luck whilst her son walked out without a word. After them it was George and Sam. They both lived nearby as well and so would be walking home.
"Thanks for the party!" exclaimed George, "it was great!"
"Only 'cause you ate so much cake!" chuckled Sam and David's family laughed.
George shook his head while laughing.
"So, I guess it is goodbye for now," said David, looking sadly at his two friends.
"Yeah," sighed Sam, "I'm sure we'll see you around here again though."
George laughed. "And if one day, when you're a Pokemon Master, you think of your two best friends, don't be shy to pop round and say hi."
Laughing David nodded. "Don't worry, I won't forget you guys."
The three boys all looked at one and other and nodded.
"Bye guys," murmured David.
"Bye David," the two boys replied in unison, sadness evident in their voices. Then, after one last shake of hands, they were gone.
David turned to his Mum and Dad with a growing feeling of sadness.
"Go on," said David's Mum smiling kindly, "you go off and get yourself an early night, you'll be needing your sleep come tomorrow!"
"Thanks for the party, both of you," murmured David gratefully, trying to stop his voice from cracking with emotion. He was fourteen now, he couldn't cry. "See you tomorrow morning." And with that, he rushed off upstairs and collapsed onto his bed.
Rolling onto his back, David rubbed his eyes and looked up at the ceiling. There was the poster of his idol, Axel the Dragon Master, standing beside his mighty dragon-like Pokemon, Dragonite.
Dragonite was quite a bulky looking Pokemon, with three sharp claws at the ends of its arms and legs. Its colouration was that of a distinctive orange, although it had a cream-coloured, striated underbelly and a pair of small green wings which were somehow able to keep it in the air. Dragonite stood slightly taller than Axel, and on the top of its head were a pair of S-shaped yellow antennae and an orange horn. As David studied Dragonite, he subconsciously began to think of a strategy on how to defeat it in a Pokemon battle - a test of strength and connection between Pokemon and trainer against an opposing team.
"I am making the right choice to go," David told himself, "it is my dream and I shouldn't let anything hold me back!" Having spent nine years learning about Pokemon at school, he couldn't wait to put his knowledge into practice. "And one day I will even battle Axel, the Dragon Master," murmured David, staring up at the poster. Then, quickly getting undressed and climbing into his pyjamas, David fell into a sound and contented sleep.
David was standing at the edge of the battlefield, the crowd cheering all around him. Across the battlefield from him stood Axel the Dragon Master, his blonde hair blowing in the breeze.
"And facing the Dragon Master today is David Masterson from Greenvale Village!" came the voice over the tannoy.
As the announcement ended, Axel drew a poke ball from his dark blue coat and threw it into the air. It burst open, releasing the huge dragon Pokemon, Dragonite.
"Ohhh!" exclaimed the loudspeaker's voice, "and Axel has chosen his legendary Dragonite. How will David counter this?"
David reached for his pocket and drew a poke ball out of it. He hurled it into the air and as he did he yelled "I choose you..."
David opened one eye as he felt someone shaking him. "Five more minutes," he grumbled, wanting to return to the land of his dreams.
"Wake up David!" exclaimed his Mum, "or else you'll be late to Professor Willow's Pokemon hand out!"
Hearing this, David leapt out of bed. "Right, sorry, I'll be down for breakfast in... three seconds!"
David's Mum chuckled. "Okay then, you've got some toast waiting for you." She left the room.
Quick as a flash, David got dressed and hurtled down the stairs, excitement spurring him on. He sat down at the kitchen table and gulped down his toast, and when he was offered more by his Dad he declined. He was too nervous to eat anything!
David ran upstairs and began to check his bag. He had packed way in advance so as to make sure he wouldn't forget anything, but still, he wanted to double check. There were some clothes, a couple of bottles of water, some energy bars, a couple of tins of food and a few toiletries. Also, strapped to the top of the bag was a rolled up sleeping bag, ready for when David needed to camp out for the night.
"I really hope that's everything," gulped David, as he grabbed his wallet from his bedside table. It contained some bank notes and David's debit card. If his bank account ever dried up his parents had promised to refill it as soon as possible, meaning that David would be able to purchase all of the supplies he would need on his travels.
Checking his bedroom over once, David nodded and closed the door. He wouldn't be sleeping in there for a while, that was for sure. He then quickly went and brushed his teeth before slowly descending the stairs. At the bottom awaited his Mum and Dad.
His Mum had tears in her eyes as he embraced her. "You'll have a great time on your journey I'm sure," she said.
Meanwhile, his Dad had a proud look on his face, and he shook David's hand. "Don't worry about us back at home," he murmured, "go and give it your best shot!"
David smiled reassuringly, trying to hold back the stream of tears. "Thank you," he gulped, "I'll do my best for you." Then, without looking back, David strode out of the house.
As David turned out of the field that surrounded his house and onto the main road of Greenvale village, he looked around at the houses where his friends lived. All of the curtains were still drawn as it was early, so David wouldn't be able to say goodbye properly. Yet, he knew that one day he would see them again, when he was a Pokemon master.
At the end of the road, David came to a halt. He was standing in front of his school, the school he'd learnt so much at and made so many friends at. He knew that he could never forget the people he'd met there and the great times they'd had together.
"I'll make you all proud," promised David, "I'll make sure I don't let you down after everything you've taught me and all of the support you've given me. Thank you."
Looking across from the school, David saw the narrow field lane that would lead him to Professor Willow's laboratory. Taking a deep breath, he turned and began to walk down the lane under the green shadow of the trees formed by the early morning sunshine.
Professor Willow lived out in the middle of nowhere, and David knew that this was for a number of reasons. First of all, he needed plenty of space for the Pokemon he looked after. These Pokemon were either being raised by the Professor himself, or were being looked after by him for Pokemon trainers (as they could only take six Pokemon around with them on their journey at a time).
Next, there was the fact that it was away from the crowds, giving the Professor plenty of breathing space to conduct his research into Pokemon biology etc. Plus, there were the breathtaking views across the fields. This would surely count as inspiration for the Professor and therefore must be a top reason for living out in the countryside, or at least David thought so anyway.
After about ten minutes of walking down the sun-baked lane, the laboratory finally came into view. It was a huge building, made up of purely white bricks. A path led to a pair of red doors, and the walls beside them sported floor to ceiling windows that could look out over the Professor's land. It truly was a magnificent site for a laboratory, with so much space around it! However, even though there was so much space, there was no sign of any Pokemon.
"Perhaps he's moved them so that they don't interfere with the Pokemon handout," murmured David to himself. He thought that this was probably true but a little unnecessary.
David opened the wooden gate that offered entry into the Professor's fenced-off land and began slowly ascending the path that led up to the big double doors of the laboratory. This was to be a pivotal point in his life, and so shouldn't be rushed.
As he walked his mind was racing; which Pokemon should he choose? He thought he had come to a decision earlier on, but now that the time had actually come, David was once again unsure.
"Bulbasaur, Charmander or Squirtle?" pondered David as he arrived at the double doors and knocked.
He was still racking his brains when the door was opened.
"Good morning," said the man who had opened the door. "David Masterson I presume?" The man had short black hair, green eyes and was of a slim build. He was wearing a pair of glasses and a white lab coat, with smart black trousers to top off the look.
David, realising how scruffy he must look in his loose jeans, white trainers and burgundy hoodie blushed slightly. "Nice to meet you," he replied politely.
Smiling, the man ushered David inside and closed the doors behind him. David surveyed the interior of the building. He was in a homely-looking corridor, with a light red carpet and pictures up on the walls. There were a couple of doors that led off to the left and right but the man led David down the full length of the corridor and to the door at the end. Through this door lay a high-ceilinged circular room, with white-washed walls and tables with computers resting on them dotted around. Another of the huge windows from the front of the building took up most of one side of the room and a couple of bookcases filled to the brim with books stood beside the window. A few more men and women in white coats were in this room, two on computers at the edge of the room and one standing in the centre by a big desk. This man was studying David with a curious expression on his face as the fourteen year old approached.
"Professor," said the man who had been David's guide, "this is David Masterson."
Suddenly realising who he was addressing, David stood up a little straighter. First impressions were always important, and he knew that he needed to make a good first impression here.
"Ah, David!" exclaimed Professor Willow grinning, "How wonderful to finally meet you! I've heard plenty about you from your parents and school teachers and have been looking forward to seeing you in person."
"Likewise," replied David, also smiling. The Professor wasn't as intimidating as he'd thought he might be, with a short stature and broad shoulders. He also had brown curly hair and was wearing a pair of black rimmed glasses along with a white lab coat and a pair of smart black trousers.
The Professor's grin grew even broader. "If only all beginner trainers were as polite as you," he chuckled, "that Andy Fallworth we saw earlier could learn a few lessons from you..."
David felt his heart stop. "Andy's been here already?" he blurted, mortified.
Professor Willow nodded. "Why the horror?" he queried.
Gritting his teeth, David explained to the Professor how he and Andy were unannounced rivals, and would always be competing, whatever the competition.
"I see..." murmured the Professor as David finished, "well, in that case let's get down to buisness; the quicker the better, eh?"
Professor Willow then turned back to the desk, which was covered in a white cloth. Resting on this cloth were three fist sized spheres, their top halves coloured red and bottom halves white, with a thick black line separating the two. Between these two halves lay a small, round button.
"These are poke balls," explained the Professor, "and in each is a Pokemon. Bulbasaur..."
"...Charmander and Squirtle," cut in David, before he suddenly realised what he'd done. "Oh, sorry..."
The Professor grinned. "You've obviously done your research," he said, impressed. "So, even though Andy has already chosen and taken one Pokemon, there is another of the same in one of these poke balls, so you are not at an unfair disadvantage."
David nodded. "May I see the Pokemon before I make my decision?" he asked.
"Why of course!" replied the Professor, "you may do the honours David." He gestured towards the poke balls and David realised that he was allowing him to release the Pokemon.
"...thank you!" exclaimed David, flustered. He had never let a Pokemon out of its poke ball before and a feeling of elation washed over him as he picked up the first one. "Come on out!" he breathed, and the poke ball suddenly opened in his hand, releasing a burst of white light from its confines. The white light landed on the table and disappeared, leaving a quadruped, reptilian creature in its place. This Pokemon vaguely resembled that of a toad or a young dinosaur, with a spotted blue-green hide and bright red eyes. It had three white claws on each of its four legs and an onion shaped green bulb on its back.
"Bulbasaur!" said the Pokemon, taking in its surroundings.
"This is Bulbasaur," explained the Professor, "and as you can tell, like most Pokemon, the only thing it can say is its name."
"Bulbasaur's a grass type Pokemon, isn't it?" queried David, placing the empty poke ball down on the table beside the reptilian Pokemon.
The Professor nodded. "All Pokemon have types, some have one, and others have two. It all depends on the Pokemon. As a trainer, you must learn which Pokemon is of which type and what types have an advantage and disadvantage over them in battle, etcetera."
David inclined his head, showing that he understood. Then he moved over to the next poke ball and picked it up. "Out you come!" he called, and again the poke ball burst open in his hand, releasing a bright white light. The light settled on the table and vanished, leaving an orange, reptilian creature in its place. This Pokemon was bipedal, and resembled a tailed salamander. When it opened its mouth, David could see that it had four sharp fangs. It also sported a cream coloured underside and a flame flickering at the tip of its tail.
"This is Charmander," announced Professor Willow. "It is a fire type Pokemon, meaning that it has a type advantage over a grass type Pokemon like Bulbasaur."
"Hi Charmander!" exclaimed David.
The fourteen year old then turned to the final poke ball and said "You're up next, come on out!" A bright white light burst out of the poke ball and landed on the table. It shimmered and disappeared, revealing a small, tailed, bipedal Pokemon. It resembled a light blue turtle, with its most notable feature being the shell on its back. This shell was of a brown colouration, with a yellow underside, and it looked pretty sturdy.
"And last but not least, this is Squirtle," explained the Professor. "Squirtle is a water type Pokemon, and so has a type advantage over Charmander. However, Bulbasaur, being a grass type Pokemon, has the type advantage over it."
"So all have their strengths and their weaknesses," murmured David, taking a step back and looking at each of the Pokemon in turn. "But, who to choose..."
Just then, the door that David had come in through burst open.
"Professor Willow, Professor Willow!" yelled the girl who had just come in. "There's someone here to see you about the Pokemon they left at your lab!"
The Professor looked at David and sighed. "I'll continue this with you in a bit," he assured the eager teenager. "Wait for me here, I shouldn't be too long." Then, turning away from David the Professor called, "I'm on my way!" He took a step forwards but stopped abruptly, as if he had forgotten something important. "Ah, Annabel?"
"Yes?" the girl replied.
"Can you wait here and supervise the three Pokemon for me?"
"Will do Professor!" exclaimed the girl enthusiastically.
With that, the Professor left the room, leaving the door slightly ajar behind him.
The girl, who could be no older than David yet was now seemingly in charge, came over to the table of Pokemon. She had brown plaited hair that fell down to just past her shoulders, shiny green eyes, and she was wearing a pink cardigan that was open at the front to reveal a white T-shirt underneath. On her legs she wore a pair of sandy-coloured chinos, breaking the trend of white lab coats and smart black trousers.
"Hello," she said as she approached, "I take it you're the boy who came to get his starter Pokemon, Andy isn't it?"
"David," corrected David, "and you're Annabel I presume?"
Annabel grinned toothily. "That's me!" Turning away from David, the girl glanced at the three Pokemon lined up on the table. Bulbasaur seemed to have decided to take a nap, Charmander was playing with the flame on its tail and Squirtle had taken to spinning around inside its shell.
"Stop that, that's dangerous!" exclaimed Annabel, realising that the two hyper Pokemon could cause one and other harm if they weren't careful.
David stifled a laugh and saw the Professor's other assistants speaking to one and other in hushed voices, occasionally looking over at Annabel with concern in their eyes. Realising that he should probably help, David went over to the table and grabbed Squirtle's shell, preventing it from spinning. Squirtle popped its head angrily out of its shell but did nothing more.
Annabel, who had just managed to calm Charmander down, gave David a grateful smile.
"Thanks for that," she said, standing back from the table and sighing.
"No problem," replied David. Feeling as though he should strike up a conversation with the girl to pass the time, he asked "who are you then? Professor Willow's daughter?"
Annabel blushed. "Oh no!" she exclaimed, "I am here learning all I can about Pokemon, because one day I want to be a Pokemon Professor, just like Professor Willow!"
Trying hard not to laugh, David nodded. This girl seemed so untrained in the ways of Pokemon, even he could see it and he'd barely begun his journey!
Apparently, Annabel could read minds, because she laughed. "Yeah I know, poor show if I'm a future Pokemon Professor right?"
David shrugged, taking into account the girl's age. "Well, to be fair you can only be about thirteen or so..."
"Fourteen," cut in Annabel.
"Exactly."
This time it was Annabel who shrugged. "The Professor knew everything there was to know about Pokemon when he was fourteen, or so I've heard."
David lowered his voice so that none of the Professor's assistants would hear him. "I highly doubt that," he murmured.
Annabel shrugged but gave David a begrudging smile. "So, have you decided what Pokemon you're going to pick yet?" she asked.
"Well..." began David, turning back to look at the table. "I was thinking maybe..." his voice trailed off.
"I know, tough choice, right?" chuckled Annabel, obviously taking David's silence as a signal that he was still unsure.
"Annabel... no, I mean... the Pokemon... they're gone!" stammered David, staring, dumbstruck, at the bare table in front of him.
It took the girl a moment to realise what David was talking about, but when she did, she looked as if she were about to faint. She span around to check for herself and gulped.
"Where... where are they?"
Quickly scanning the room, David caught a glimpse of Squirtle disappearing out of the door that the Professor had left ajar. "Oh no!" he cried, pointing to the door so that Annabel could see.
Annabel's face went pale. "We need to get after them, quick!"
"But what do we tell them?" hissed David, nodding towards the oblivious assistants.
"Leave them to me," murmured Annabel, before grabbing the empty poke balls off of the table.
David watched as Annabel ran up to one of the assistants and said, "Just popping out for a little walk with the Pokemon, be back in a bit." Then, before the assistant could reply Annabel had grabbed David and was pulling him out through the door.
Once they were out of the room, the two of them sprinted down the corridor and past the doors that David had seen earlier on. None of them appeared to have been opened by the escaping Pokemon and so David and Annabel ignored them.
When they reached the front door, however, they realised that this was going to be a more difficult task than anticipated. The door was wide open, revealing a vast expanse of grass with no sign of any Pokemon.
Handing David one of the empty poke balls, Annabel said, "I'll go right, you go left; meet back here in an hour." Then, as quick as a flash, she was off.
Sensing the urgency of the situation, David turned the opposite way and began to run, hoping against hope that none of the Pokemon had gotten hurt.
The long grass that covered most of the land owned by Professor Willow was covered in dew, making David's jeans wet and uncomfortable as he ran. The sun didn't help either. It was too hot, making it hard to run in, and so, regrettably, David had to slow to a walk.
"Great, just great," he murmured, angry at himself for not keeping an eye on the Pokemon. "This was supposed to be the start of an adventure. Now I don't think the Professor will ever trust me with a Pokemon!" David wildly kicked out at the ground in front of him, rage coursing through his body.
A crackling and hissing sound coming from the teenager's right made him freeze, however. Any feelings of anger were quickly replaced with those of terror, and he turned around to see smoke rising from the woods a couple of metres away from him.
Then, David heard something that made his blood run cold; the cry of a Pokemon coming from within the smoking trees.
Without even considering his own safety, David was off, sprinting into the woods. Within seconds he had passed the first smoking tree and entered the now flickering flames.
"I'm coming!" he called, trying to reassure whatever Pokemon it was that had managed to get itself trapped in the blaze.
A cry came in reply from his left, and David changed direction, dodging a burning branch that fell as he went. However, he couldn't escape the smoke, which was beginning to make his eyes water and his throat constrict.
Coughing, David soldiered on until he came upon a fallen tree, surrounded by burning branches and wood. Trapped beneath this tree was the Charmander from Professor Willow's trio of Pokemon, and it was breathing out flames in panic. Bulbasaur and Squirtle were nearby, with Bulbasaur trying to calm the terrified fire-type down whilst simultaneously dodging falling branches of fire. Squirtle, on the other hand, had retreated within its shell in fright.
"How did you...manage to get yourself stuck under...there?" spluttered David, trying hard not to breathe in too much smoke. He covered his mouth with his sleeve and moved forwards, wary of the falling branches and flames.
Getting as close as he could to the frightened fire-type, David knelt down and drew out the empty poke ball that Annabel had given him. He held it up so that Charmander could see it. Soothingly, he said "Charmander, it's all right. If you calm down I can get you out from under the tree by returning you to your poke ball. I don't want to recall you when you're upset, because then you'll be worrying the whole time you're inside the poke ball."
He continued talking to Charmander, trying hard to ignore the ever-expanding fire and the tightness he was feeling in his chest because of the smoke. It seemed to be working though, as Charmander began to calm down and even stopped spewing flames. It looked at David, its eyes full of fear.
"Don't worry," murmured David reassuringly, "everything's going to be all right. I'm going to recall you to your poke ball now, okay?"
Charmander nodded.
"Okay then Charmander, return!" exclaimed David, holding up the poke ball and pointing it button-first towards the salamander-like Pokemon, as he'd seen done on T.V. A red beam of light shot out of the button upon command and hit Charmander, engulfing it in a red glow. The poke ball then opened up in David's hand and the red light retreated inside, taking Charmander with it. David sighed with relief. One Pokemon was safe.
The tree that had fallen upon Charmander thudded to the ground, with nothing supporting it now that the fire type had gone. As it hit the ground, embers flew off of the bark and scattered across the grass at David's feet. Before he could do anything, a fire was flickering to life under the soles of the teenager's shoes, and he leapt into the air in pain, his feet searing from the heat.
"We need to get out of here," gulped David, as the fire quickly spread across the grass. He looked over at Bulbasaur and Squirtle. Bulbasaur was furiously trying to get the turtle-Pokemon to come out of its shell so that it could run and escape, but Squirtle was too terrified to move.
Admiring Bulbasaur's loyalty and courage, David hurried over and picked up Squirtle. He then glanced down at Bulbasaur, who knew exactly what the budding trainer was thinking.
"Run!" yelled David, before sprinting back the way he had come with Bulbasaur close behind him.
The duo dodged a couple more burning branches before emerging from the blazing woods into the clear air. David took a couple more steps away from the burning trees before collapsing into the long grass. It felt as comfy as a bed, and David placed Squirtle down beside him. It still hadn't re-emerged from its shell. Fortunately, Bulbasaur was all right, and was lying beside David, looking as exhausted as he felt.
"We did it," murmured David.
Bulbasaur smiled happily back. "Bulbasaur, bulba."
David grinned, but suddenly found himself doubled over as a fit of coughing overwhelmed his body. He grimaced, realising that the smoke had done more damage to his lungs than he'd first thought. "No matter," he murmured, pushing himself upwards into a sitting position. Just then, all that mattered was that the Pokemon were safe. His own well-being was next in line.
"David!" Annabel's voice rang out across the fields.
Squinting towards where the voice had come from, David yelled back "Annabel! We're over here!"
The brown haired girl soon came into view, with Professor Willow at her side. David waved and the two ran towards him.
"Are you all right?" asked Professor Willow anxiously, as he and Annabel arrived at David's side.
David grinned. "I'll live," he replied. "The important thing is that I've got all of the Pokemon with me."
The Professor looked relieved upon hearing this, but not as relieved as Annabel looked. She mouthed a silent 'thank you' to David.
Turning towards the blazing trees, Professor Willow sighed. "I think it's best if we just let that burn itself out. Shame though, I liked those woods..." He looked back at David, Bulbasaur and Squirtle. "Let's get you lot inside," he said, "It looks like you could all do with a bit of a rest."