Chapter 1: In the Beginning
Let me tell you a story. It's a story about a boy and his journey with creatures known as Pokémon. It's a story of friendship, of hate and love. But mostly, it's a story about a Gift: The Gift of Arceus.
Our story begins with twelve-year-old Kairu Fir sleeping in his bed. He dreams of Pokémon because in the morning, he will finally receive his first one. In his dream, he chooses one out of fifteen Pokémon to be his partner. In his dream, he takes that one Pokémon and challenges the Pokémon League Champion of the Kunishu Region and wins. However, this is all just a dream.
"Kairu," a voice calls from the stands, "Kairu, it's time to wake up."
Kairu slowly opens his eyes and blinks them, adjusting to the light of the sun coming through his uncovered window. He sits up in his bed and rubs the sleep out of his eyes. With his eyes fully adjusted, he looks up to the figure standing to his right. The figure of a woman, her long gray hair shining in the sunlight.
"Aw, mom," Kairu yawns and says, "Why'd you have to wake me up? I was having the best dream ever."
"Let me guess, son," Kairu's mom says while turning towards the door, "You finally beat the Pokémon League Champion with your first ever Pokémon. Is that right?"
As Kairu's mother leaves, Kairu says a quiet, hardly audible "Yeah", and gets out of bed. He puts his blue jeans on first, like he always does, followed by his white ankle socks. He then walks over to his closet and opens it, revealing a wide array of shirts and coats all hanging up neatly. He chooses one white t-shirt to wear for that day.
He walks down the stairs from his room and finds his mother sitting at the table waiting for him. They always have breakfast together before they start their day. Kairu sits down at the table and after a quick 'grace', starts eating his breakfast. He knows it's going to be his last breakfast with his mom for a while. He knows that after this breakfast, he will finally begin his Pokémon journey.
"Kairu," His mother says, "I've been thinking…"
"No," Kairu says sadly, reading his mother's thoughts, "Mom, you promised."
"I know," says mom, "I'm just worried that I'll never see you again. Or that when I do see you, you couldn't beat the Champion."
"Mom," Kairu says, "You will see me again. And when you do, I'll have become the Pokémon League Champion of Kunishu!" Kairu strikes a superhero-like pose at which his mom giggles at.
"Alright, son," mom says, "Come by the lab later, in the afternoon."
"What should I do until then?" asks Kairu.
His mother gets up from the table and clears the dishes while she says, "Just hang around town. Go talk to some of the neighbors, I'm sure they'll appreciate you stopping to talk to them." She giggles again, "You always were their favorite trouble-maker."
As Kairu's mother places their dishes in the sink, Kairu reflects back on his childhood. His father had left their hometown of Okira about ten years ago and Kairu's mother had to take care of him by herself. Whenever he was out with his friends, sometimes when he should have been studying, they would always get into mischief. Sometimes, Kairu would be the only one who got caught. Every time the neighbors would say they would call the police on Kairu, but they never did. Kairu had always thought the reason was because a forest separated them from the nearest Police Station.
Kairu walks out of his house and sees a mysterious person looking into his mother's lab. The lab is right next door to his house so it is easier for his mother to go to work. Kairu walks up to the stranger and introduces himself. The stranger jumps at Kairu's sudden appearance behind him and runs away, leaving Kairu left to wonder who he was.
"Oh, Kairu," an old Woman's voice says from behind him, "Are you going to be leaving today?"
"Yep." Kairu says, "I'm getting my Pokémon this afternoon and then I'm going to start my Pokémon Journey."
"Well, that's just wonderful," The old woman says, "Stop by my house later on and I'll give you a special present."
The old woman then walks away. Kairu soon follows suit and walks some more around town, talking to people. Some of them wished him good luck on his Journey and others gave him things they thought he would need. He soon goes to his mother's lab after walking around town. As soon as he walks in, he sees his friend, Jayce, sitting on a chair at the back.
Jayce always wears a headband and goggles. Kairu wasn't sure why he was sitting there because he already had Pokémon. He walks up to one of his mom's assistants to ask. The assistant says that Jayce's sister will be starting her Pokémon Journey as well and Jayce wants to see her off.
"Kairu!" Jayce calls out, "Hey, man, where's your mom?"
"You mean she's not here?" Kairu asks.
"No, man," Jayce says, "She hasn't been in all day, according to Mr. Frankenstein over there."
"It's pronounced Frahnk-in-steen!" The assistant corrects, "And it's 'Dr.' to you, kiddo."
They boys laugh. It was always fun to tease Frankenstein about his name. Ever since they had that reading assignment about how Dr. Frankenstein, the one from the book, had made a Pokémon using parts from other Pokémon. The two childhood friends were convinced that the Dr. Frankenstein from the book was the one working at Kairu's mother's lab. It took a whole week for them to be convinced otherwise.
"Ahem," Frankenstein says, "Anyway, that's not quite what I said. I said that she had left shortly after coming in. Perhaps she went out of town to do some research. I'm sure if you go out there, you'll find her."
"Alright," Kairu says, "I'll be back shortly with my mom. Thanks Dr. Frankenstein!" Kairu runs out of the lab.
"It's Frahnk-in-steen!" Frankenstein yells after him.
Kairu's mother, more commonly called "Professor Fir", is the region's top expert on Pokémon, aside from whom the kids call "Old Man Oak" in Kokoni Town. She has always been going out of town to do research on the Pokémon that live there. Sometimes, she loses track of the day and forgets to check in with her assistants. Kairu has always had to look for her.
Kairu steps out of town and looks around. His mother doesn't normally go very far and so it's easy to spot her. On this trip, she has gone a little ways away from town so Kairu can't see her. He starts walking and is bumped into by somebody he didn't see before.
"Oh, Kairu," the familiar voice says.
Kairu looks up to see it was his mother who had bumped into him. She offers a hand to him. He takes the hand and is pulled up. He begins to ask her about what she was doing, but is interrupted.
"I was just gathering some information near the forest, but I lost track of time." She explains, turning Kairu around, "Come, let's go see the others at the lab."
"You mean you know? "Kairu asks.
"Of course. What kind of Professor would I be if I didn't know the ones that I invite to my lab are punctual and show up on time?" She asks rhetorically.
They walk through town and are stopped occasionally by people wanting to talk. Professor Fir talks for a bit and is interrupted by Kairu. Kairu explains to the people that his mother is already late. No sooner do they walk through the door than they are greeted by Jayce and his sister, Joi-Ann.
"Hey, Kairu!" Jayce calls, "I thought you got lost or something, man."
"No, nothing like that, Jayce." Kairu explains, "Mom just had to stop and talk to people, that's all."
"Ah, I see." Jayce says.
"Nice to see you again, Professor Fir," Joi-Ann says during the boys' conversation.
"The same goes for you, too, Joi-Ann." The Professor says with a kindly smile. Her face then turns serious as she says, "Alright children, listen up. Today you are going to get your first Pokémon. I trust you all know how to take good and proper care of them?"
"Yes, mom," Kairu says, "You've drilled it into our brains for the past eight years."
"Alright," Professor Fir says, "Then come and choose on this chart, which Pokémon you want." She rolls out a chart with fifteen Pokémon and their names on it. "Remember, you can only pick one and once you pick, it's final."
Joi-Ann chooses first, "I choose this one: Oshawott." She says pointing to a picture of an Otter-looking Pokémon.
"Ah," says Professor Fir, "a Water-type Pokémon. A very good choice for you, Joi-Ann." She goes to the cabinet and picks up a Pokéball with a number 15 on it. She hands the Pokéball to Joi-Ann.
"I'm picking this one." Kairu says pointing to a picture of a salamander-looking Pokémon standing on two legs with fire on its tail, "Charmander."
"The Fire-type," Professor Fir says, "I think that's the perfect choice for you, son." She goes back over to the cabinet and picks up a Pokéball with a number 2 on it. She then hands the poke ball over to Kairu. "Now, remember to take good care of your Pokémon. Don't battle them too hard. You can all go now."
As everybody is leaving, Professor Fir calls out to Kairu. Kairu stops and tells the other two to go outside to wait for him. The brother and sister do what Kairu says and Kairu walks back to his mother.
"What's up, mom?" He asks.
"Kairu," She says, "I need you to deliver a package to an old friend of mine."
"You mean Old Man Oak?" Kairu asks.
"Yes." She says, "I got a text from him while I was out in the field and he says he wants to study something I found a little while back."
"You mean the egg?" Kairu asks.
"Yes." She answers, "You see, we were unable to find out what species was in the egg. He may be our only chance of finding out what kind of Pokémon is developing in that egg. So, will you do it?"
"Yeah, sure." Kairu says.
"Good. I'll need you to come back here after the egg is delivered so you can get packed and get ready to go on your Pokémon Journey." Professor Fir says.
Kairu takes the egg in its backpack and goes outside. Once outside, Jayce says that Joi-Ann had already left and that he was going as well. Kairu and Jayce wish each other luck and Jayce heads off. Kairu leaves shortly after to deliver the egg to Old Man Oak in Kokoni Town.
Kairu, with the egg, travels to Kokoni Town. What Pokémon is in the egg? What will Kairu face on his way? Will he be able to make it there and back?
Kairu, burn your Flame bright!
