Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Game Freak, but I hope you know that.
Due to my excitement and ignorance when starting this story, the protagonist's name may be inaccurate in some places, being written as "Lindsay" instead of "Hilda". I've scoured through to correct this, but let me know if you spot any more of those.
With that, I hope you enjoy. :)
Chapter One: Happy Birthday
Hilda, Cheren and Bianca stared at the box in front of them. It was purple, with a reddish-pink ribbon tying it together. The box was rather unassuming upon first inspection. Hilda thought as much when she found it in her room. The card that had come with it was certainly confusing, but it did send a flicker of anticipation and excitement into her stomach. She knew that her best friends would think so as well, and she had her mom invite them over immediately.
"So...what did the card say again?" Bianca asked.
Hilda pulled it out of her shorts pocket, opening it up. " 'Dear Hilda, Cheren and Bianca'," she read aloud, " 'We have been discussing this arrangement for a really long time, at least over two years. Since Hilda's home is closest to mine, I decided that I would deliver your gifts to her mother. Please decide in an organized manner as to who should get which gift. Happy birthday, at least for the start of your adventures. Signed...Professor Juniper'."
"Professor Juniper?" Cheren parroted, fixing his glasses. "So these must be Starter Pokemon!"
The three of them tore the box open, halting before they set the lid or wrapping paper down. There they were, three spheres the size of baseballs, with red on top, white on the bottom, and round buttons on the front. Three Poke Balls, each one holding a Unova starter Pokemon.
They'd all heard stories of kids their age going on adventures with Pokemon. Almost everyone in the world got along with the mysterious powerful creatures to some degree. Some people used them as workers, carrying heavy loads and clearing wood for housing. Others used them as mere companions. But kids their age had eyes on the Pokemon League, battling to the top to get the chance of facing the Champion. Cheren had had his eyes on that for years, and it had crossed Hilda's mind more than once, but never for long.
They were all old enough for a grand journey now. They had known that it had to be coming any day. But it felt unreal, as if they were sitting in someone else's room, looking at Pokemon that weren't supposed to go to them. These couldn't be for them, could they?
"Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, is this really happening?" Bianca gasped, practically shaking. "Are we really getting Pokemon?"
"They're here, aren't they?" Hilda replied quietly. "They're ours."
Cheren was quiet for a moment, staring in awe at the three Poke Balls in front of them. What else could they say about it?
The three of them then giggled madly. Yes, this had to be real! The Pokemon were right there! All they had to do was choose now.
"Okay, remember, we have to settle any arguments like adults," Hilda decided. "No arguing or bickering or anything like that."
"Well, these were brought to your house," Bianca noted. "So you can have the first pick."
Hilda crept closer to the box, observing the labels just in front of the Poke Balls. This might be the hardest decision of her life. Which Pokemon would fit well with her? Which could she effectively grow with on a long journey? She took a close look at the labels in order to decide.
The first one said it held a female Snivy, a grass type which was a bit sassy and stubborn. Training Snivy sounded like a challenge, and Hilda wanted to be prepared for challenges. But what if the Pokemon ended up bossing her around?
The second one said it held a male Oshawott, a water type that was silly and slightly clumsy. That was the description of a child. Hilda didn't want to look after a child, especially if it would bring out her childish traits. But maybe they would interact well with each other, and grow up together along the way.
The third one said it held a male Tepig, a fire type that was strong if a bit timid. Hilda liked the idea of a strong Pokemon as her starter. They could blow everyone away with their great power. Oh, but if it was timid, she didn't want to push it too hard, even with the weaker Pokemon.
She looked over the options again. After mulling it over, Hilda chose the second Poke Ball, pressing the button and releasing the creature from the capsule. A white light sprung forth, and in another moment, a Pokemon was released. Oshawott had a light blue body with a white head and arms, his tail, feet and ears having the same dark blue hue. He twitched his brown nose, trying to strike a pose and nearly falling over. Hilda let out a sigh. This one was definitely hers in spirit.
"Hi, Oshawott," Hilda told him. "I guess we're partners, now."
Bianca clapped her hands together. "He looks great, Hilda," she insisted. "And I think I'll take...Tepig!"
She snatched up the third Poke Ball, pressing it and releasing the creature inside. Tepig had a mostly orange body, with a few bits of brown on his lower side and ears. He looked frightened to be out of the Poke Ball, probably only used to the walls of Professor Juniper's lab.
"Yes, this one's mine!" Bianca cheered, scooping him into her arms. The Tepig struggled for a bit, then settled in and buried his snout under her armpit. Geez, barely a minute together, and they were already inseparable.
"How come you got to go next?" Cheren sighed. "Never mind, I wanted Snivy anyway."
He picked up the first Poke Ball, pressing it and releasing the Pokemon. Snivy was very lizard-like, dark and light greens making up her leafy body. She flicked her tail and crossed her arms impatiently, waiting for something to happen.
Hilda looked at Bianca and Cheren, studying the Pokemon they'd chosen. Both Bianca and Tepig had this unsure demeanor about them, and Cheren and Snivy both appeared to be eager to go out and do something. Hilda hadn't thought of it before, but they were practically mirror images of each other.
"Does Oshawott look similar to me?" Hilda found herself asking.
"That's a weird question to ask," Cheren thought. "But...kind of. You have that similar head-cock."
Hilda looked at Oshawott, noticing this head tilt. She suddenly realized that she was doing the same thing and straightened herself out.
"It's nothing to worry about, honestly," Bianca giggled. "It means you made a good choice."
"I guess so," Hilda shrugged, pulling brown hair out of her face. "We haven't had a chance to tell quite yet."
"That's right, we've only just chosen them. Hey, let's have a battle right now!"
Cheren stood up indignantly. "Not in here! Think of the mess!" he yelled.
"No, we should do it," Hilda agreed. "If we were drawn to the Starters we chose based on who we are, what better way to confirm that than with a battle? And because it's our first one, nothing too bad should happen."
The two girls sat up. Bianca set Tepig on the ground, standing awkwardly by the door. "My move. Um... Tepig, tackle Oshawott!"
Tepig balked for a moment, but then he rushed forward, ramming his body into Oshawott. Oshawott fell down, flat on his back. He writhed there for a moment until he was able to right himself.
"Tackle back! Don't let him get the best of you!" Hilda commanded.
Oshawott ran forward, head-butting Tepig. He fell back down, but he managed to send Tepig rolling into the bookshelf. A couple books fell off, sending Cheren scattering toward the window.
"Um, uh...tackle back again!" Bianca shouted.
Tepig got to his feet, running forward with greater speed. He collided into Oshawott, the two of them crashing into the entertainment system. The television rocked a bit before falling over, just barely caught by a timid Bianca. Hilda let out a yelp, pressing the Poke Ball and dragging Oshawott back in it, ensuring that he didn't get hit by any falling electronics. She ran to the opposite side, holding the television up that way in order to protect Tepig. Wow, it was remarkably heavy. How did they manage to get it up here the first time?
"Bianca, get your Poke Ball out!" Hilda told her.
"The-the TV's too heavy! I can't!" Bianca cried. "Cheren! Help!"
"Snivy! Pull Tepig out of there!" Cheren commanded.
Snivy let out a huff, scurrying over to Tepig's side. She grabbed him by his curly tail, pulling him out of the way. At that point, Hilda and Bianca dropped the television. There was an odd crash sound that came once they dropped it, one that made Hilda sick with worry. She noticed that a few knick knacks had fallen off, one chandelure figurine losing some pieces. And her charizard figurine. And her lucario figurine. But at least her pikachu figurine seemed safe for the most part. She just hoped that the television wasn't too badly damaged.
"Hilda! What's going on up there?" her mom shouted from the living room.
Hilda covered her mouth with her hands. She looked at the damage in fear.
Bianca put her hands into pockets on her white skirt. "In hindsight, I don't think we know how to battle," she muttered.
"Oh no oh no, Mom's going to kill me," Hilda gasped.
"And just before your big journey, too..."
Cheren shook his head, and Snivy emulated his behavior. "Next time, you should listen to me about not battling inside," he argued. "Let's just explain calmly what happened. Your mom will understand, I promise."
Hilda straightened out, finding that her limbs were shaking. "Yeah, you're right. What's the worst that she can do?" she decided. "Let's go down."
She went first, her head hung low in fear and shame. Hilda walked down the stairs, stopping just before the bottom. Her mother stood right before her, hands on her hips and looking just above her.
"There...was an accident," Hilda muttered. "We accidentally knocked the TV over."
Pounding footsteps came forth, and Bianca scooted up next to her. "It was all my fault! Blame me!" she cried. "I was the one who wanted to battle with our new Pokemon! Cheren told us not to, but I went ahead and goaded Hilda into it! Don't be too hard on her, please!"
Cheren walked down much more slowly, adding, "I wanted to do the talking."
Hilda's mother fixed the skirt of her dress. "...You only get to be children once," she muttered. "Don't worry about a thing. I'll clean up after you once you head out. You have more important things to worry about now."
"Wait, you want us to be like children?" Hilda asked. "But this journey is our chance to grow up."
"That's not quite what I meant. Yes, this journey is supposed to be your chance to grow up. But you're allowed to have fun as well. And even if that wasn't the case, then having a battle like that is the last opportunity of fun you'll have before real work begins."
Bianca adjusted her green beret. "She's right, being a Trainer is a hard job," she realized. "Gaining a Pokemon's trust, getting them stronger, and taking on the Gyms...I don't think I'd qualify. And I don't even know if he'll let me..."
"Don't worry about that," Cheren insisted. "No one can stop you now."
"Anyway, I'm not mad," Hilda's mother continued. "I want you three to have fun on your journey. Oh, I was preparing a going-away bag of goodies for you three. They're in the kitchen. I'll go get them."
Hilda's mother left for a short minute. The three of them made their way into the living room, taking a seat on the couch. None of them said a word. All fear and excitement from earlier had faded. Now there was just the rumination. What was their journey going to be about? What part of themselves would they try to seek out? For Cheren, it had to undoubtedly be to become the Champion. It was a very high goal to achieve, but Cheren had always fancied himself to be an over-achiever. For Bianca, it was a little more uncertain. She hadn't displayed any firm interest in any job, so her journey might be to figure out what she wanted to do. Hilda wasn't sure what she wanted quite yet. But she was very excited about meeting new Pokemon.
Her mother returned, handing them each a small bag of berries. "These will help your Pokemon in a variety of ways," she told them. "I think you'll find the Sitrus berries quite handy."
"Thanks, Mom," Hilda cheered. "We'll find a way to use them, I promise."
"So what do you think we should do?" Bianca asked. "I know we're off on a journey now, but, like, where do we begin?"
"I say we go to Professor Juniper," Cheren explained. "She knows everything. She ought to know what to do."
Hilda's mother crossed her arms, smiling. "That sounds like a great idea," she agreed. "I think Professor Juniper said that she would be meeting you at Route 1, on the way to Accumula Town. She had a lot to discuss with you about the start of your journey."
"Yeah, let's go talk to her!" Bianca cheered.
The three of them got up off the couch, heading over to the kitchen table. They collected their bags, preparing to head off. Hilda set her pink bag over her shoulder, putting the berries on an inside pocket and setting the Poke Ball on an outside pocket. She was all set to go, practically.
Cheren was the first to leave, as seemed a habit of his when he was ready to do something. Bianca held the door open after him, balking for some reason. She slammed the door shut, running back into the living room. Hilda rushed to her side, setting a hand on her shoulder.
"What is it?" Hilda asked.
"H-He's looking for me," Bianca stammered. "I saw him heading this way. He'd never let me go if I told him what I was doing."
"Well honey, you should just be honest with him," Hilda's mother insisted. "People appreciate honesty."
Bianca shook her head. "I-I don't know how to tell him."
Hilda set her hands on her hips, a smirk on her face. "I've got an idea," she decided. "I'll tell him for you!"