There comes a time in every kid's life when he or she is old enough to receive a beginning Pokémon. Upon reaching the age of ten, a child was considered old enough to own and care for a pocket monster. It was that special day, June 14, in the small, sleepy town of Kupo in the Pomo region. The entire town was gathered outside the local Pokémon center in celebration of the seven children of age receiving their first Pokémon.
A large crowd, made up of most of the population of Kupo, rooted for the new trainers. The seven impatient ten year olds stood in front a long, wooden table just outside the center. The table was decorated with a purple, velvet tablecloth spotted with red dots. Neatly arranged along the length of the table were Pokéballs.
Suddenly, Professor Sakura, the esteemed Pokémon researcher, emerged from the Pokémon center's entrance, and the awaiting crowd grew silent. She walked with poise, carrying a giant spinner that was divided in the seven colors of the rainbow. It was Kupo Town tradition: each beginner trainer chose a color, and the order of the colors the pointer of the spinner landed on determined the sequence the trainers selected a Pokémon.
After the colors were assigned, Professor Sakura held the spinner high in the air for everyone to see and spun the pointer. The first color was orange. A girl from the group of new trainers screamed in excitement; she got to choose first. The lucky girl took a moment to make her decision. The Pokéballs were next to plates labeled Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile. The girl finally chose the ball containing Chikorita, and the crowd went in a frenzy of shouts and cheers from pride family members and friends.
The next colors were purple, yellow, and then indigo. The following color to be selected was green.
"Yes!" shouted Damien, the boy assigned green
"You're so lucky," commented Allen the boy who was standing next to Damien.
"Yeah, huh," Damien replied, "nobody chose the Pokémon I wanted yet." Damien made a beeline straight for the Totodile.
Allen let out a sigh of disappointment when the next color selected was red. This was when the major error was noticed. There were seven trainers yet six Pokéballs. The boy assigned red snatched the last Pokéball without a second thought of the dilemma. The surrounding crowd started to murmur among themselves, wondering if Professor Sakura was aware of her critical mistake.
"Don't tell me that was the last Pokémon." Allen said out loud to no one in particular. This was a nightmare come true. This was supposed to be the day he started his Pokémon trainer adventure. He would have happily accepted any of those Pokémon today. What happen?
An Unsure Start!
"Wow," Damien said after noticing the screw up and Allen's heartbrokenness, "some one needs to learn how to count." The snide remark failed to cheer up Allen the slightest. In fact, Allen looked wrecked. Damien could not help but pity him. "Don't worry, man." Damien attempted to cheer his friend up, "I'm sure Professor Sakura can get you a Pokémon soon. You'll only be a few days behind us." Allen remained silent in devastation.
The crowd's mumbling grew even louder. Did Professor Sakura do this on purpose? The whole time the professor stood perfectly erect and calm, as if ignoring the problem and suspecting everyone to simply leave since the last Pokéball was claimed. Then she suddenly beckoned one of her assistances over with a hand gesture. Whispers were exchanged, and the assistance rushed into the Pokémon center.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the professor spoke loudly and slowly, "There has been an inexcusable error by fault of my assistant. This cannot go without rectification." Her speech was very slow yet respectable. The previous assistant returned with a Pokéball in hand and handed it over to Sakura. "To compensate this, I offer you, Allen, this rare Pokémon just recently arrived."
After hearing this, the crowd returned to cheering as Sakura prompted Allen to approach and accepted the Pokéball. At first, Allen was temporary stunned by the sudden direct address from the professor. A helping shove from Damien gave him the momentum to approach and receive the Pokéball.
"Let this conclude the Pokémon receiving ceremonial!"
The after party commenced. There were drinks, teary pride parents, and Pokémon galore. Unfortunately for Allen, both his parents were absent. His mother and father were both members of the Elite Marvel Phalanx, a high ranking group of Pokémon trainers. It was odd. The both of them having to leave so suddenly on some important issue and missing his special day… whatever. He knew they wanted to be here. Being raised by two elite trainers had a large influence on Allen to say the least. As far back as he could remember he had always wanted to be a Pokémon trainer.
"Yo," Damien cried out to the meditating Allen, "You okay, man?"
"Yeah," Allen answered slowly, "just thinking."
"Sorry, that your folks couldn't see the special treatment you got." Damien added. "You were lucky. Most times—if a provider runs out of beginner Pokémon—the odd kid out got nothing."
"I know," Allen said.
"Well…stop being sooooo moody then!" Damien suddenly blurted out, "What happened to the Pokémon manic Allen I knew! C'mon! We finally have Pokémon!"
"Yeah, yeah, we're right." Allen said as you raised his Pokéball in the air in pride. "We finally have…" Allen let his hand down in realization. "I don't know what the heck is in this ball."
"Well, I haven't released my Totodile just yet. Let's meet them together."
Allen nodded in agreement. The excitement was overwhelming. What could the mystery Pokémon be?
"Go Totodile!" Damien commanded as he tossed his Pokéball. The ball opened and released its red beam of energy. The beam quickly formed into the big jaw Pokémon. It hopped up and down uncontrollably.
"Hyper little thing isn't it?" Damien commented. Totodile continued hopping insanely. "Hi, I'm Damien, your trainer." The Pokémon busted into a crazed dance. "I know, I know. I'm excited too." Suddenly Totodile lunged for Damien's left feet. It attached its powerful jaws on Damien expensive shoe's toe.
Big no-no. Nobody messed with Damien shoes. "Okay, no gnawing on my nice $235 shoes." Damien said trying hard to keep his patience. The gnawing did not cease. "I said stop chewing the shoes!" Damien started to kick wildly in attempts to shake Totodile off. You managed to, however, knock his totally shoe off along with Totodile. Totodile landed with the shoe still in his mouth. He carried on with his savage nibbling.
"No, Stop!" Damien ordered as he started to wrestle the Pokémon over the shoe.
Ah, interesting Allen though. Totodiles really would munch on anything, but the mystery of his Pokémon still remained. Allen finally threw his Pokéball. The red beam fired and formed into something unexpected. It was an Eevee!
"Eevee," it charmed. Eevee sat majestically underneath Allen. Eevee was a marvelous Pokémon to start with.
"Hi Eevee," Allen introduced himself, "I'm Allen." He placed his out for Eevee to place its paw on.
"Eve!" Eevee responded as it offered its paw.
"No way! He got an Eevee!" an outrage voice yelled. Allen looked up. It was Vince; the inconsiderate boy assigned the color red. He was taller than the average boy his age with medium length, brown hair. "I didn't even get a Pokémon I liked and you get an Eevee." He added as he brushed strains of hair from his face. The Cyndaquil on the boy's shoulder shivered at the hurtful comment. "It's not fair!"
How obnoxious. "I didn't ask for Eevee." Allen retorted. "I just—"
"You think you're so special because of your Eevee, huh?"
"No, I—"
"I bet that dainty Pokémon couldn't hold itself in a battle."
"Eve!" Eevee shouted suddenly in angry reply
"Oh, did I hurt its feelings?" the Vince wondered, "I think it wants to fight. How about it?" the boy challenged Allen.
Allen was a little unsure. A battle so soon? He and Eevee have not bounded yet. Then Eevee turned around, and the two locked eyes. Allen saw the will to fight in Eevee's eyes. It must be a very proud and combative Pokémon.
Allen nodded, "I accept your challenge."
"Let's see what your rare Pokémon can do."
"What? A battle?" Damien plopped on the scene with Totodile in hand still chomping the shoe. "I'll get my dad."
Damien's father was a licensed Pokémon referee, and the ideal person to oversee the beginners' first battle. Allen and Vince stood on against ends of a grassy battlefield. The battle was also scattered with a couple of huge boulders.
Allen had butterflies in his stomach. Eevee, on the other hand, seemed pumped for the battle. It strode back and froth staring down the still shivering Cyndaquil on the other side of the starting point that was the center circle of the battlefield. He did not want to let Eevee down. He recited Eevee's attacks in his head to come up with a good strategy.
Damien's father shouted to each trainer to check their readiness. After seeing they were both ready to rumble, he signaled the starting flag. The battle had begun.
"Cyndaquil, scratch attack it!" Vince ordered. Cyndaquil hesitated a second, then charged with its claws readied.
"Eevee, use you speed and not power and you can win this!" Allen suggested, "Use quick attack!"
Eevee suddenly vanished in a bust of intense speed. Eevee reappear just in front of the charging Cyndaquil and delivered a powerful, two-pawed attack in the face. Cyndaquil was sent rolling across the grassy field. When it finally stopped rolling, it looked like it did not want to get up again.
"Cyndaquil, get up!" Vince instructed, "No way I'm gonna let you lose in one hit!" Cyndaquil slowly climbed to its feet. "Good. Now do a smokescreen!" The flames on Cyndaquil's back started to flare as a cloud of smoke formed. The smoke slowly floated over to Eevee. It was a pity: the smokescreen attack was way to slow to be effective.
"Eevee, cancel that with a sandattack!" Eevee obeyed and launched a sand attack. It kicked up a massive amount of sand with its front legs. The sand fell the air and clear a path in the smoke leading straight to Cyndaquil. Eevee lowered its head and charged forward in a tackle attack. Cyndaquil was hit head on in the stomach. Eevee quickly followed-up with a wicked tailwhip across the face. Cyndaquil found itself flung in the air and collided into one of the giant boulders in the battlefield. It lay slumped against the rock. Eevee swiftly pounced on the downed opponent. It ferociously stumped the Cyndaquil.
The crowd watching the battle gasped; Eevee was a vicious, merciless, ass-kicking machine.
"Ah, took it easy Eevee!" Allen instructed. It was oblivious that the Cyndaquil was no match for Eevee.
"Cyndaquil! Fight back! Use ember!" Vince commanded. Cyndaquil had enough strength to launch some embers from his back. A flew sparks managed to char Eevee left, front leg, but it jumped back just in time to avoid the bulk of the fiery attack. "Good! There still some fight left in you!"
"Another sand attack, Eevee!" Eevee kicked up some more sand, and this time it was a direct hit. Cyndaquil was mostly buried in a mass of sand. The sand nullified the ember attack. Now the coup de grace. Eevee launched a finally tackle attack that flung Cyndaquil back into the same boulder. That was the limit; Cyndaquil instantly fainted.
Damien's father lowered the victory flag to call the battle. The battle was over.
"Yea!" Allen shouted, "We won!"
Eevee was still bloodthirsty. It rushed the collapsed Cyndaquil and started to stomp it.
"The battle is over! Stop!" Eevee would not listen and went on pounding. "Eevee, return!" The red beam of the Pokémon zipped the rampaging Pokémon back in its ball.
"Aw, I knew you were useless." Vince said as he returned his Pokémon from the field.
Damien rushed to his friend's side. "That was amazing. Eevee was incredible."
"It seemed a little too violent to me…" Allen replied
"Isn't that good for a battling Pokémon?" Damien asked
"I guess…"
"At least it doesn't eat your clothing." Damien said as he pointed to his baggy, pants legs. One was severed up to his knee; the other one had Totodile teething on it.