Journal of a Unova Pokemon Trainer

Chapter Two

Now I feel I must write down the story of my journey up to this point, while I wait for Professor Juniper to tell me what I need to know to get on with my travels. I tried calling her on the XTransceiver but she didn't pick up.

My two childhood friends Cheren and Bianca were at my house that Wednesday morning, three weeks ago. We were all three of us fifteen, and we had to wait for Bianca to turn fifteen to get our starters, because we wanted to set out on our journey together. In the Unova region it is not possible for a trainer to get a license until after his or her fifteenth birthday. In other regions it is different, I know. In Kanto you can get a license at ten, or so Cheren says. But Unova thinks kids are irresponsible and should not be allowed to embark on their own journey.

I feel I must clarify that further. There are certainly people you can battle who are younger than fifteen. In my travels I have battled kids as young as preschool age. And there are also trainers from other regions where licenses are doled out to younger folks. But anyone a citizen of Unova doesn't have a license unless they are fifteen or older.

It actually was two in the morning, but we had spent the whole day celebrating Bianca's birthday and were so eager to commence our Pokemon journey that we couldn't sleep. A box with three Pokeballs in it had arrived.

"Since we are in your house, Quinn, I think you should have the first choice," Cheren said.

I picked up a Pokeball and called the Pokemon in it to come out. It was a green snakelike creature with legs. I mean, it was what a snake would like it if it had legs. Well, sort of. It wasn't scaly like most snakes are. Also, it had a tail made of two leaves.

"Snivy," Cheren said, knowingly..

"I think I'll look at the other two before choosing," I said. I picked up the second Pokeball and released the Pokemon from it.

The new one was a pig with ears like a rabbit's. Smoke came out of its nostrils

"That's a Tepig," Cheren said.

"I bet its fat when it evolves," Bianca said, disgust in her voice.

"That is correct, Bianca," said Cheren. "Tepig evolves into Pignite, a Pokemon that resembles a sumo wrestler."

I sorta liked Tepig but I wanted to wait until I saw the last Pokemon to make my choice.

Out of the third Pokeball emerged something that looked like an otter and a clown at the same time. It was carrying a seashell.

"Ah, yes, the seashell," Cheren said, when I got down on my knees to look closer at it. "Oshawott, as this Pokemon is called, always have a seashell with them. The seashell is not a part of its body but Oshawott are attached to them." Then, realizing what he just said, he laughed, as did I. Bianca must not have understood the joke, because no laughter sprang from her lips.

"Isn't it weird for a Pokemon to love something that much?" I asked, once I had gotten myself back together. "I mean, this is an interest of all Oshawott, right? Not just this particular one?"

"Yes, that's true. But there are Pokemon that are like that. For instance, there is a Pokemon in a far away region called Kanto that carries a leak around with it always. Every single Farfetch'd does this."

"Well, aren't you going to pick your first Pokemon, Quinn?" Bianca asked.

"Hmm, let's see…" I took a long look at each of the Pokemon, then finally said, "I'll take Tepig. I like it the best."

"Is that your final answer?" Cheren asked, quoting a line from the host of a famous TV show, Who Wants to Own a Pokemon Ranch?

"Yes, yes it is," I said. I picked up a Pokeball, aimed its pointer at Tepig, and said,, "Tepig, return!" But nothing happened. "Seems this Pokeball is defective."

"No, it's not defective," said Cheren. "Each Pokeball can only call back the Pokemon that belongs in it. This is why it is impossible to catch a Pokemon that has already been caught. The Pokeball you are holding must belong to either Snivy or Oshawott, since it's definitely not Tepig's."

I picked up a different Pokeball and tried again. It wasn't Tepig's either, however. So I picked up the last one, and this time it worked.

"I'll take Oshawott, and that leaves you with Snivy, Bianca."

"Hey, how come you get to pick which Pokemon I start out with?" Bianca asked.

"Do you want Oshawott?"

"Well, no, not really. I'm happy with Snivy. He's my favorite color and matches my outfit."

Pokemon trainers wear the same outfit every day. They wash it in the river twice a week to keep it clean. There are some exceptions, but those are usually only girls addicted to fashion or rich kids who never wear the same outfit twice.

Cheren picked up a Pokeball and called Oshawott back. Then Bianca took the last Pokeball to claim Snivy as her own.

"I think we should all rest up and commence out journey tomorrow," Cheren suggested. "We ought to be fresh and rearing to go when we actually begin."

"Yeah, I need my beauty sleep," Bianca said.

"I'm tired myself. But don't either of you two leave without me, you hear?" I said.

"Don't worry; we won't," Cheren promised.

He and Bianca left, and I put on my pajamas. Then I picked up the Pokeball and called Tepig to come out. "Our journey hasn't begun yet," I said to him. "But tomorrow we will begin a series of adventures that will be totally rad."

He seemed excited. I snuggled him close, and that night Tepig slept with me, outside his Pokeball.