Prologue
Child Stars: Then & Now
It's been fifteen years since the season finale of Ash's pokémon adventures. Former child star, Ash Ketchum, played himself for five years on the hit TV series as we watched him slowly become a pokémon champion. Now, at thirty, he's settled down with his family, co-star May Maple and 3 year old daughter, Carlin. Ash was, and still is, a hero to all pokémon trainers around the world and his legacy will carry on through his daughter who is showing herself to be quite talented indeed.
How Young is too Young?
It has been announced that children no longer need to be ten years old to receive starter pokémon. "Children are more responsible these days and I think its right that we lower the age for the younger pokémon trainers. It's not fair that they have sit back and watch as their older brothers and sisters are out there getting badges and winning competitions just because they are too young." Nurse Joy tells us. Parents also think it's a great idea saying it'll keep them out of trouble if they have something to focus their energy on. But some of the older, more experienced trainers disagree. "Pokémon training can be dangerous. Getting injured by a wild pokémon when a trainer is so young could be risky."
The new law has been in place since February. Parents can now register their children at three years old and each will receive a trainer cord with their information in it. Starter pokémon are no longer being given out free and it is the parent's responsibility to make sure their own child gets a pokémon that best suits their ability. Trainer cords have been given out for a year already and are being received well. Trainers can no longer enter competitions and contests without one. Pokémon centres have been told not to serve anyone without a cord but offer them a registration form instead.
Officer Jenny would like to remind anyone who has not received one yet to go to the pokémon centre and fill out a form. Twelve months from now it will be illegal to walk around with pokémon unless you have a trainer cord.
From Badges to Beads
For years trainers have been complaining about gym badges. Although they are wonderful ornaments for a trainer's collection they take up a lot of room and can't be carried around in case they unhook themselves and get lost. Thankfully, Nurse Joy has come up with the perfect solution. "At the pokémon centre we have a box full of badges children have dropped or left behind while they were here. I thought, 'there must be something better out there'. So I came up with the idea of beads." The idea is that instead of gym leaders giving out badges after every battle they would give the trainer the appropriate bead to put on their trainer cord. It allows children to show their achievements without having to take out their box of collections or reply with the all too familiar answer 'I left them at home'.
Children can go to the pokémon centre or the police station to swap their badges for beads. A trainer is allowed to keep their original badge as a souvenir but each one must be stamped to make it invalid.
Recognition for all Achievements
The new idea for beads instead of badges has caught on quickly. But other organisations want their say too. "Pokémon training isn't the only activity out there for kids. I think there should be some kind of incentives for kids who are part of other programmes." Mr. Manno teaches karate to children 6 years and up and thinks that coloured belts are old fashioned and should be changed to something children can carry around wherever they go instead of just at practices. Music teacher, Miss. Campbell, agrees. "Kids with musical talents go unnoticed. It would be great if they were recognised for their achievements." Thanks to the cooperation of Badge Inc. they have come up with a design that will allow children and adults to clip badges onto a wrist band that is given by a teacher. The studs at the back of the badge make it impossible to take off and lose.
Mr. Manno is now substituting black belts for the new badges and giving them to all his students. "The wrists bands are great because they can be taken anywhere."
Badge Inc. has also started to produce badges that could qualify and help you find your next job. So if you're studying and earning a degree make sure to ask your learning facilitator about receiving a badge with your graduating certificate.
School is Being Forgotten
Dropping the age limit for pokémon trainers has taken its toll on schools and education. More and more kids are skipping school to go on pokémon journeys and teachers aren't happy. "What are they going to do when they're teenagers and can't read a single sentence?" one teacher in Kanto asks.
Thankfully, there is a solution just around the corner. Hundreds of Pidgey and Spearow are being sent to schools and assigned to children so they can take their schooling with them on their journeys. Once a book is completed the Pidgey or Spearow will fly back with the finished work and return it to the school to be marked. The hope is that young trainers will train their mail-bird and it will evolve as the load of school-work gets heavier.