Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to neither Avatar: the Last Airbender nor Pokemon.
Chapter 1: First Step
It was a particularly chilly morning in Sudpol City. The sun was just beginning to appear over the horizon and the inhabitants of the city were beginning to wake up to begin their day. One particular soon-to-be trainer continued to sleep until he was awoken to the sound of a rather loud alarm.
As Sokka groggily shut the incessant clock up by smashing it with Cubone's club, effectively breaking the device entirely. "Stupid alarms," the tired young man muttered to himself. He let out a sigh as he dragged himself out of bed with great effort. In the process of sitting up, Cubone had fallen to the ground from his resting place on Sokka's back.
Looking at the small pokemon, who still managed to stay sleeping, Sokka nudged him with a foot in an attempt to wake the creature up. "C'mon, bonehead," he said dully. "We got a big day ahead of us."
When he was finally out of bed, Sokka made his way towards the bathroom to begin the process of getting ready. After taking a nice warm shower to wake himself up, Sokka proceeded to put on a pair of jeans and his dark blue t-shirt. After checking the mirror to see if anything was out of place, Sokka proceeded to head out of his room to get some breakfast.
When he entered the dining room he was quickly greeted by his parents. "Morning, son," Hakoda said cheerfully. "Sleep well?"
Sokka responded with a bored "meh," before promptly sitting at the table.
Kaya brought a plate of breakfast, which consisted mostly of sausages and bacon, and placed it in front of Sokka. The young trainer-to-be quickly ingested his food happily, giving Cubone a sausage every now and then.
"So," Hakoda said once Sokka was finished with his breakfast. "You two ready to get registered in the League?"
Sokka smirked slightly in anticipation. "I guess so. I'm not entirely sure what to do once I get started, but I'm sure we'll figure something out."
"Well," Kaya interjected. "Since you're going to head off to be a trainer, I guess you'll be needing one of these."
She then placed a brand new traveling bag that had all the necessary supplies already packed into it. When Kaya slid the bag over to Sokka he quickly opened it up to find an extra set of clothes, as well as some medical supplies, some camping gear, and even a half-dozen Pokeballs.
"Your father called me after you left the gym yesterday," she started. "He said that he had a good feeling you wanted to become a pokemon trainer, so I decided to go ahead and get you some things you'll need on your trip."
"Thanks, mom," Sokka said happily. "You're the best!"
He quickly gave her a hug before going to get the rest of his things. Once he had everything ready, he, his father, and Cubone all began their trip over to the local Pokemon Research Lab.
Professor Iroh let out a content sigh as he wandered through one of the research domes of the Pokemon Research Facility. The dome he was currently meandering through was the Tropical Zone. The large dome was specially made to simulate a tropical environment down to the letter, so as to better facilitate the pokemon.
When he reached the entrance to the enclosure he saw that the telecom was ringing. Iroh quickly answered the com and was greeted by one of his assistants.
"Professor, You have a couple of guests here in the front," the young man informed.
"Thank you," Iroh replied. "I'll be there shortly."
Iroh proceeded to turn off the telecom and quickly made his way to the lobby.
When Iroh entered the main lobby, a wide smile grew on his face.
"Hakoda, my friend," he said joyously. "How are you doing today?"
Hakoda smiled fondly at the older man as they exchanged handshakes.
"I'm doing quite alright," he answered. "My son's decided to begin training, so we came to get him registered in the Pokemon League."
Iroh looked behind Hakoda to see Sokka sitting on one of the seats watching as Cubone flipped through one of the magazines.
"Sokka," Hakoda called out to his son. Hearing his father calling to him, Sokka got up and approached to two men. "Sokka, this is Professor Iroh, a good friend of mine. He's the leading expert on pokemon in this region."
"Nice to meet you," Sokka stated.
"The pleasure is all mine," Iroh replied. "So what made you decide to become a trainer?"
Sokka simply shrugged. "I had some free time on my hands..."
Iroh laughed boisterously at the young man's bluntness. "Very well," he said regaining his composure. "Follow me and well get everything taken care of."
Iroh proceeded to led the two guests to his lab, all the while giving them a tour of the facility. As they made their way down the hallways Iroh would point out anything that would be of any interest. When the three finally made it to Iroh's lab, Sokka saw various advanced computers and trays filled with pokeballs.
"What's with all of those?" Sokka asked, pointing at the racks of pokeballs curiously.
"Those are the pokeballs sent to us by all of the trainers from this area," Iroh answered. "When a trainer catches more than six pokemon, they are sent here for storage."
"Okay," Sokka replied. "I see now."
Iroh smiled at the boys inquisitiveness. Reaching over to his desk, he pulled out a strange red device before turning back towards Sokka. He held out his hand offering the object to the young man.
"Here," Iroh said. "This is a pokedex. Once your thumbprint is scanned into the machine, you'll be officially registered as a trainer. It will also give you any information regarding any known pokemon you encounter."
Sokka took the device and placed his thumb on the scanner. After a moment it opened and displayed his trainer information, which consisted of nothing.
"Congratulations," Hakoda said proudly. "You're officially a trainer in the Pokemon League. Now we just need to get you a starter."
Sokka looked at his father quizzically. "Starter? What's a starter?"
"A starter is a pokemon a trainer is given at the start of their journey," Iroh explained. "Normally they are given a choice between one of three pokemon. Unfortunately the last starter was given away recently."
"That's okay," Sokka interjected. "I could just use Cubone, right?"
Said pokemon quickly jumped up onto the desk next to the group and struck a ready pose.
"We'll make a great team!" Sokka declared enthusiastically. "Isn't that right, bonehead?"
Cubone nodded in agreement and the two sealed the deal with a quick brofist.
Everyone's attention was pulled away from the two when the door to the lab opened.
"Ah, uncle!" the newcomer said. "I've been looking for you..."
The rest of whatever the newcomer was saying was lost to Sokka as he began to study her. She wore a dark red coat with a white scarf. She had a black skirt that went up to her mid thigh as well as knee-high socks and a pair of light boots suited for travel. She lad long black hair done up in a high ponytail. She had almond shaped eyes with a deep amber eyes.
Sokka shook his head when he found himself staring at her for too long.
"Ah, Azula," Iroh responded fondly. "I was hoping you'd see me before you left."
"Yes, well, I can' t stay too long," she said. "I want to get back on the road before Zuzu realizes that I was staying here."
The professor nodded in understanding before reaching into one of his coat pockets. "In any case," he added. "I wanted to give you this."
He pulled out a pokeball and handed it to Azula. She eyed the ball curiously.
"It's an Eevee," Iroh stated. "I wanted you to have it. Consider it an early birthday present."
"Thanks," she responded before attaching it to her belt. She really didn't want an Eevee. They just seemed so weak looking to her. But then again, she was never really fond of the cutesy pokemon. In any case, she'd train it to be strong. After all, she loved challenges.
"Well, I really must be going," Azula stated. "Thank you for letting me stay here, Uncle. I'll be sure to call to report Eevee's progress."
When the door closed after Azula's exit, Iroh brought his attention back to Sokka.
"Now," he began. "Where were we? Ah, yes, we need to register Cubone as your starter."
He reached into his jacket again and pulled out an empty pokeball and handed it to Sokka. "Simply press the little button on the front to activate the pokeball," Iroh explained. "And have it make contact with your Cubone. When the button stops flashing red, it will indicate that you've captured the pokemon."
Sokka nodded in understanding and did as he was instructed. "Alright little buddy," he said to the ground pokemon. "Here goes nothing."
He gently lobbed the pokeball towards Cubone. When it made contact with the his head, he was quickly engulfed by a red light and contained within the pokeball. The button began flashing red for a short moment before finally settling back to normal.
Sokka proceeded to open the pokeball, releasing Cubone from his confines. Having no use for the pokeball, Sokka deactivated it and placed it on his belt.
"Thank you for all your help," Hakoda said to the professor. "I think I should be able to give Sokka any other bits of information. If you'll excuse us, it was good seeing you again."
Iroh responded with a farewell of his own as Sokka and his father left the research lab. As they left, the older man smiled a reminiscent grin.
Once they were finished at the lab, Hakoda took Sokka to the entrance of the city. Once there, he placed a hand on his son's shoulder.
"Well, son," he started. "This is where you'll begin your journey. I know things will be different being on your own, but with Cubone at your side, I'm sure you'll do just fine."
"Before you go," Hakoda added. "Take these with you."
He handed Sokka a tin case and a map of the region. When Sokka opened the map he could see seven cities circled in red, and their own city circled in yellow. When Sokka looked to his father curiously, the older man smiled.
"The cities that are circled are all major gym's located within the region. The seven that are circled in red are the gyms I recommend you go to. If and when you get your seventh badge, I would like you to come back home."
"Why's that?" Sokka asked. "Is there something I need to know about?"
"Well when a trainer wins eight badges, they are permitted entrance into the Pokemon League Tournament," Hakoda answered. "Basically the elite trainers all battle for the opportunity to win a chance at challenging the Elite Four. The Elite Four are the highest ranked trainers in this region. Being able to challenge them is a great honor, and even being able to defeat one of them will earn you even greater recognition."
Throughout the explanation, Sokka listened to his father intently. With every bit of detail, the young man quickly became more and more eager.
"So why do you want me to come home after I get the seventh badge?" He asked expectantly. "Wouldn't it be better for me to go to the next gym?"
Hakoda's smile became a smirk. "Son," he said amusedly. "Have you forgotten that I'm a Gym Leader, myself? After you win your seventh badge, I want to be the one to give you your eighth. Assuming of course you can beat your old man."
Hakoda ruffled his son's hair causing Sokka to chuckle. Sokka responded with a light jab to his father's arm.
"Just you watch," Sokka said with determination. "When Cubone and I get back, we'll beat you so hard you won't even know what happened. Isn't that right?"
Cubone responded positively by nodding and waving his bone-club in the air. The three shared a short laugh, before Hakoda placed his hand on his son's shoulder again.
"You be careful out there son," he stated.
"I will, dad," Sokka replied. The two shared a quick hug before Sokka and Cubone turned and departed from the city. As his son left Hakoda watched with great pride.
"Do me proud son," he said to Sokka's retreating form. "Do me proud."
When he could no longer see Sokka in the distance, Hakoda made his way back to his house.
Sokka looked at his map as he and Cubone made their trek to their first gym battle. He sighed when he realized it would be a couple of days before he reached the port, and another couple of days before they reach Kiyoshi Island.
He resigned himself to his fate and put his map away and opted to enjoy the scenery. The moment he lifted his head to look forward a random object fell on top of his head, causing him to fall onto the ground.
When he sat up he notice a weight on his head. When he lifted whatever fell on his head in front of him, Sokka could see that it was actually a pokemon. As he held onto the pokemon he noticed that its body was slightly limp, and it had a constant tired expression.
"Oh, hey there," Sokka said plainly. "And what kind of pokemon might you be?"
Sokka gently laid the pokemon down on the ground and pulled out his pokedex. When he opened the device it proceeded to give off a detailed description of the creature.
"Slakoth, the Slacker Pokemon," the Pokedex stated. "Slakoth lolls around for over twenty hours every day. Whatever happens, it is content to loaf around motionless. Because it moves so little, it does not need much food."
"Slakoth, huh," Sokka stated to himself. He looked at the lazy animal and smiled amusedly. He could relate to it's boredom.
"How would you like to join me and Cubone," Sokka asked Slakoth. "I'll guarantee you won't regret it."
The slakoth turned its head slightly in contemplation. It looked at both Sokka and Cubone before smiling and replying with a quiet "Slako~th..."
Sokka chuckled as he pulled out an empty pokeball and activated it. He gently lobbed it towards the lazy Slakoth and it quickly disappeared into the ball. It shook a couple of times before finally calming down.
"Well, that wasn't so hard," Sokka said to Cubone as he picked up the pokeball and placed it on his belt. "This whole catching pokemon thing isn't as difficult as thought it'd be."
"That had to be the sorriest thing I've ever seen," a familiar voice said, catching Sokka off guard. When Sokka looked up to the voice he saw that Azula girl who was at the professor's lab.
"Why would you want such a lazy pokemon," she asked mockingly. "I mean honestly, it's such a weak looking thing."
Sokka frowned at the arrogance of this girl. "Oh yeah," he said in response. "Well... your.... your bag looks dumb."
He mentally slapped himself for such a terrible come-back.
"Whatever," Azula replied offhandedly. "I've got better things to do than waste it with such a looser."
"Hey!" Sokka yelled in defense. "What's your deal? I never did anything to you! Why do you have to ridicule me so bad?"
"My reasoning is because you aren't taking being a trainer seriously," she replied seriously. "You treat this as if it's just a game! Being a trainer is a huge responsibility, and you aren't fit to bear it!"
"Really now," Sokka questioned rhetorically. "If that's how you feel then how about we battle to see if you're right?"
Azula scoffed at Sokka's proposal. "I hardly think trouncing you would be in your best interest, but if you insist," she shrugged. "We'll have a two on two battle, considering I doubt you have any more than that."
"Fine," Sokka agreed. "I'll start things off with Cubone."
"Very well," the dark haired girl said. She reached for a pokeball she had inside of her jacket. She tossed the ball forward releasing a small dog-like pokemon. "I'll begin with my Eevee."
The two stared at each other for what felt like a long moment. Cubone and Eevee both stood at ready stances, awaiting their orders. Almost in an instant both Azula and Sokka ordered their attacks.
"Eevee, use a sand-attack!" Azula yelled.
"Cubone! Bone Club!" Sokka ordered.
The two pokemon quickly complied with the commands. Eevee began kicking dirt towards Cubone, as the ground pokemon rushed the Eevee with his club at the ready. Before he could reach his target however, the sand made contact with his eyes causing him to stop in his tracks.
"Now, use a Tackle attack Eevee!" the proud girl commanded. Eevee complied and proceeded to tackle Cubone, causing him to be sent back a couple of feet. "Quick Attack Eevee, don't give him time to recover!"
"Cubone," Sokka shouted hurriedly. "Stand your ground then follow it with a Headbutt!"
Following his orders, Cubone took Eevee's quick attack head-on. The impact caused Cubone to skid back slightly, but he remained standing and got a firm hold on Eevee. Using this to his advantage, he reared his head back and quickly slammed it down onto his opponents with great force.
"Okay, Cubone," Sokka said encouragingly. "Now, follow through with a Bone Club!"
The bone wielding pokemon rushed towards Eevee and this time, the Bone Club made contact. Eevee was knocked away hard, effectively knocking it out.
Azula grimaced at her loss. "Beginner's luck," she muttered as she recalled her Eevee. She put the pokeball away and pulled out her second one. She quickly tossed the ball into the battle to reveal a red lizard-like pokemon with a flaming tale.
"Let's do this quickly Charmeleon," she ordered. Her fire pokemon let out an excited roar as it prepared itself for combat.
"Let's go with an Ember attack!" Azula instructed. Charmeleon acknowledged the order and let out a breath of fire that connected with a surprised Cubone. The attack was so powerful it managed to knock the ground pokemon out in one hit.
"Cubone!" Sokka yelled in shock. He quickly recalled the pokemon and looked at the pokeball sadly. "I'll get you treated as soon as I finish this, buddy."
Determined not to lose, Sokka sent out his newly captured Slakoth in hopes of somehow turning the tables. It was only then that he realized that he had no idea of how to battle with the lazy pokemon. Thinking fast, Sokka consulted his pokedex to get a list of moves that Slakoth would know.
"Oh that's just sad," Azula commented.
"You just shut your mouth," Sokka said irritably. He quickly read off the attacks in hopes of figuring a strategy.
"Charmeleon! Ember!" Azula yelled suddenly.
"Slakoth, dodge it!" The dark skinned boy ordered hurriedly. As the stream of fire approached Slakoth, the lazy pokemon managed to lean back far enough to avoid a direct hit. When the fire missed Slakoth, Sokka let out a sigh of relief.
"Keep at it Charmeleon!" the dark haired girl demanded. "Ember!"
With every stream of fire that was released, Slakoth managed to barely avoid being hit. Just as another stream of flame passed by Slakoth, a loud roar was heard from where the fires made contact.
All of the combatants looked at the tree line to see a massive pokemon stomp out into the path.
"I-it's an A-abomasnow," Sokka said terrified. He had remembered his father talking about how powerful these pokemon were. His father would tell him stories of how even his pokemon had trouble fending them off. If even his father had trouble with them, then what chance did Sokka have?
"I think we could take it if we work toge-" Azula started. Before she could finish however, Sokka had quickly recalled his Slakoth and ran away as fast as he could. Azula's face became contorted in rage as she watched Sokka run away. "YOU COWARD!" She yelled angrily.
The Abomasnow let out its own roar of fury as Azula recalled her own pokemon and ran after Sokka. The large ice pokemon gave chase.
"This is all your fault!" Azula yelled to Sokka once he was within hearing range.
"MY fault?" Sokka responded. "It was YOUR Charmeleon's attack that pissed it off!"
"You better hope that angry pokemon catches you," the panicking girl yelled. "Because if it doesn't, I will! And I will utterly destroy you!"
The two trainers ran as fast as their legs would take them, and with an angry Abomasnow behind them, there would be no chance for a break. The two didn't stop running until after sundown.
"I think... it's safe... to stop now...." Sokka said tiredly. Azula didn't respond but simply slowed down to show that she agreed. The two finally stopped running when they reached an area where they could safely set up a small camp.
"We'll finish our battle some other time," Azula said as she laid out a sleeping bag. "I'm far too tired to do anything else."
"Yeah," Sokka agreed as he laid down in his own bag. "I'm Sokka, by the way."
Azula took a moment to register that he was actually introducing himself. "Azula," she responded. "My name's Azula."
"Well, Azula," he started. "You were a good opponent today. It's just a shame that our battle had to be interrupted."
"Yes, well, you weren't so bad yourself," the dark haired girl responded. "For a beginner anyway."
Sokka chuckled for a moment and then silence filled the area. As his eyes slowly closed, and his mind drifted off to sleep, he couldn't help but think of how exciting his first day was.
"I hope I have more days like this," Sokka thought to himself as he finally fell asleep with a smile plastered on his face. So ended his first day as a trainer.
A/N: Well, there's Chapter 1. Over twice as long as the Prologue. Haha. But I digress. I've already decided on what Pokemon everyone will have. But, I would like to hear suggestions or opinions. Not everything is set in stone, and I am always willing to change things if I get a good enough suggestion. Also, no, Sokka will not capture all of his pokemon this way. I just thought it'd be funny for his first catch to be like that.
Next Chapter! Sokka makes it to the port, and continues onto Kiyoshi Island, all the while getting to know Azula more.
Until next time!
Read and Review please~
