Author's Note/Disclaimer: If I have typos, dear God, tell me! I hate typos and work very hard to be free of them. Anyway, on to the story; this story will be just like real life. It won't be about brand new trainers winning every single battle they have and crushing the Pokémon League. Characters and Pokémon alike will die. There will be crime, revenge, and pure evil, but there will also be love, justice, and friendship. I don't own Pokémon, but I do own all of my original characters. Now that that's out of the way, enjoy. :)
The three best friends sat on the forest floor amongst the trees of Pinwheel Forest, just outside of their hometown of Nacrene City, as they promised their parents never to stray far too deeply into the forest. "So, we agree, right? We're all gonna wait until we can all leave on our journey at the same time?" asked Sarah Jane Holler, though more commonly known as S.J. She was the youngest of the three of them, though only by a week. Her greatest fear was her two best friends leaving on their Pokémon journey ahead of her. They had promised to travel together since they were six years old, though she still had doubts that they would ditch her. Her honey blonde hair, pulled back in a ponytail, and baby blue eyes portrayed innocence and an unquenchable thirst for adventure and excitement.
"We promise S. J.! Don't worry. We would never leave without you," promised Spencer Sanders, the most awkward member of the group. He was the tallest and thickest of his best friends. He had beefy arms and a slightly protruding belly. Spencer was the closest thing to a leader that the loyal trio had. He was a clever strategist, but it was a matter of heads or tails when it came to whether he worked well under pressure or not. The situation always swayed his better judgment and his cool. His looks were simple with dark brown hair and deep brown eyes.
"Spencer's right. We wouldn't last two days without you, S.J. If we didn't have you, Unova would swallow us whole," admitted the final piece to the group of soon-to-be trainers, Roger Klapheke. He was definitely the athlete of the three pioneers. He was always busy with soccer, or baseball, or basketball. The small get together in Pinwheel Forest was even a luxury for S.J. and Spencer. The short and lean boy with sun-tanned brown skin and beige brown hair was the most sensible one out of the three. S.J. let her emotions take over too easily, and Spencer often let his past effect his present. Roger, though, often stayed calm and neutral during difficult affairs. He wasn't the planner Spencer was, though.
"I already know that, Roger," laughed S.J.
"I think I could do fine without you two," admitted Spencer.
"You can't stand being alone," chuckled Roger.
"I would have my Pokémon for friends," said Spencer.
"They aren't very fun to talk to unless you get one of those expensive translators, or a psychic type. They can communicate with their minds," explains S.J.
"I could get a translator. I'll win a lot of money in battles," Spencer promised.
"Or lose a lot of money," S.J. deadpanned and broke out laughing. Spencer pushed her down jokingly. She grabbed at Roger and they started rolling around in the bed of pine needles and oak leaves. Spencer got in on the fun by jumping on top of the both of them. His large stature knocked the wind out of both of them.
"No fair, Gigantor," choked out Roger.
"Totally fair, Munchkin," retaliated Spencer.
"You're both annoying idiots, now get off of me!" yelled S.J. annoyed. Spencer and Roger did as their friend said and sat back down next to a large maple tree. S.J. plopped down across from them.
"So, what kind of Pokémon do you want for a starter?" pried Spencer. The same question has been asked by all of them to each of them, but their answers often changed.
"I wanna ice type, duh," answered S.J. She was the only one whose answer never changed.
"I want a psychic type," replied Roger. His type preference often wavered from psychic to ghost to dark type.
"What about you, Spencer? Your birthday is in three days. That doesn't give your parents that much time to get to a breeder and buy you a Pokémon," asked S.J. Spencer hesitated, looking for the right answer.
"I can't decide," he admitted. "I narrowed it down to a water type or a rock type, but I just can't pick one." Spencer rubbed his forehead and exhaled a perplexed breath. He's considered at least every type of Pokémon known to man.
"Well, you'll have to pick, or your parents are gonna pick for you," said S.J. sympathetically.
"I know, but my mom and dad know want I like. They'll pick a Pokémon that I'll love. I just know it." Spencer believed with all his heart that his parents would make the right choice, but he was incredibly anxious. His birthday was in two short days, and his mother always told him stories about would be trainers who couldn't decide what Pokémon they wanted as a starter and never became trainers. Spencer was positive that his mother told him those stories just to scare him, but now he wasn't so sure.
"Don't worry, Spencer. You'll get the best Pokémon ever, well, not as good as mine, of course," smiled S.J. reassuringly.
"S.J.'s right. You don't have to worry. Your parents know you better than anyone," said Roger. For a nine, soon to be ten, year old he was very mature intellectually and emotionally.
"I know. I just can't wait until my birthday," stated Spencer honestly. He fingered the silver cross necklace he always wore around his neck anxiously. Knowing it was a nervous tick, S.J. gave Spencer a warm hug.
"Don't be nervous," she whispered.
"Thanks," Spencer said back smiling. S.J. stood back up and stared at the setting sun. The dark orange on the sunset made the yellow fallen leaves of autumn look as if they were on fire.
"It's probably time for us to head home. It's getting kinda late," S.J. pronounced and started running down the path that lead back to Nacrene City.
"Wait up!" Roger called and ran after her. Spencer didn't move, though. He just sat there in the soothing silence thinking about the monumental day that was coming up for him. Becoming a trainer was the one thing that he looked forward to all of his life, but now, it's the one thing that scares him the most. There were so many things that could happen to him and his friends on their Pokémon journey. He could be mauled by a wild Pokémon, kidnapped by a crazed trainer, one of his own Pokémon could die, or one of his friends could even die. The whole concept of a Pokémon journey was quite dreary to Spencer when he really thought about it. Spencer wouldn't be able to live with himself if one of his friends were hurt because of him. He was reassured by the thought of traveling with his S.J. and Roger, though. They would be strong together, Spencer was sure. He sighed and stood up. It was getting late. He started running back to Nacrene City, but was soon winded and had to revert back to walking. Spencer hated having to slow down. It meant he was admitting to himself that he was too fat to run all of the way home. It took longer, but he eventually reached the apartment building his and S.J.'s family lived in. Roger lived in a real house down the street. He opened the front door and ran up the steps. Spencer opened his apartment door with his house key. He saw his mother, Sheila Ritchie, and ran to her, giving her a warm and loving hug. Spencer's mother and father got a divorce when Spencer was three and took back her maiden name, though they are working together graciously on finding him a starter.
"Hey there, Spence," she greeted, hugging him back.
"I love you, Mommy," Spencer stated. His mother was the one person who was always there for him through hard time, like when his father left. Spencer never truly forgave his father for leaving. When he had to stay with his father every other weekend, the time was filled with silence and feeble attempts from his father to earn Spencer's affection back.
"I love you too, kid. Your dad called today. He asked if you had any idea what Pokémon you wanted for a starter," Sheila said.
"Still water or rock."
"That's what I told him. I hope we don't disappoint you," Spencer's mother sighed.
"You won't. I know you won't," Spencer reassured her. His mother had felt slightly incompetent ever since her husband left her.
"You're so sweet, honey." Spencer's mother squeezed him tighter. "I love you." Spencer nodded and ran to his room. He plopped down on his bed and looked around his room. He smiled at the various posters of random Pokémon that covered his walls and even part of his ceiling. His favorite was the one of the extinct Pokémon Carracosta. It was a water and rock type. Spencer loved that Pokémon, but they were extinct. Spencer had heard of some fossilized Pokémon being restored to a living for in the Kanto region, but it wasn't an exact science and was very tricky. Spencer tried not to get his hopes up. He jumped reflexively as his mother's own starter, a Cinccino name Maria, jumped onto his bed, startling him.
"Hey, Maria," Spencer greeted as he stroked the pokemon's soft fur.
"Cin!" squeaked the cinccino. She let Spencer pet her for a while, but soon became distracted with cleaning Spencer's dusty dresser.
"Clean freak," Spencer teased and rolled over on his side. He watched the quickly fleeting sun until sleep overtook him, casting him into his last day as a nine year old.