"The Journey Begins"

The girls followed Gary into the main chamber of the lab.
"You're both taking a really big step today by following in your father's and my footsteps. This really brings back the memories," Gary reminisced as he walked over to his enormous computer and started typing in strings of code. Rachael and Miley stood back, waiting anxiously. "Okay, time to get started. As you both know, today is your first step on the road to becoming a Pokémon master and, if you work hard, the Kanto league champion. This pokédex will help you along the way by revealing information to you about the wild Pokémon you will encounter along the way." Gary handed both of them a red rectangular device that looked somewhat like a handheld computer. The girls squealed and smiled from ear to ear. "Now that you've got those, let's get down to business. I think that it is only fair for the birthday girl to be first."
"I guess, since it is her birthday," Miley conceded moodily, though she grinned at her cousin. Gary laughed heartily.
Finally, Rachael thought, this moment had arrived. The moment she had been waited for since she was in diapers was here. Rachael stepped towards her uncle and beamed as she cried, "Okay I'm ready!"
Gary pushed a button and a small pillar with a domed top started to erupt from the lab floor. "Before you meet your first Pokémon, there is something I need to tell you. Your father and I decided to do things a little differently for the two of you. Being our only daughters, we wanted to provide you with more protection than normal. So instead of one Pokémon to start with, you'll both be receiving three."
Rachael and Miley looked at each other, shocked speechless for a moment. Finally, Rachael questioningly repeated, "Three?"
Gary chuckled as he said, "Yes, you both will be starting with three Pokémon. Now Rachael, are you ready?" When Rachael nodded, the contraption in the center of the room began to open, exposing six pokéballs. Gary grabbed the top left pokéball and handed it to Rachael. "This little guy is the by-product of your parent's Pokémon," he told her as the girl released her Pokémon. Emerging from the sphere, a Pichu appeared at Rachael's feet.
"Aww!" Rachael cooed as she bent down to pet him.
Gary reached for the next pokéball closest to him. "This one is a gift from your aunts."
A pink Staryu emerged from the pokeball and Rachael gasped. "Oh my gosh! It's pink! I'm gonna call you Yume!" Rachael squealed.
Gary retried Rachael's final pokéball as he told her, "I personally helped your mom breed this one."
Rachael gave her uncle a puzzled look and then grinned as he Eevee appeared. Eevee pranced over to the girl and smiled up at her as Rachael bent down to pick it up. "It's so adorable! I think I'm gonna call you Vee."
Gary smiled as he said, "I'm glad you like them, Rach." Rachael hugged her uncle as she thanked him over and over again. He chuckled and turned toward his daughter.
"Miley, are you ready to meet your team?"
Miley exclaimed, "Are you kidding me? Of course I'm ready!" Gary walked back over to the pillar and grabbed the first orb. Before Miley's eyes, a small Vulpix appeared on the lab floor. Miley's jaw dropped and the colossal hole that was her mouth emitted an ear-shattering squeal causing everyone within earshot to wince, including the Vulpix. Miley picked up the frightened Pokémon and comforted it. "I think I'm going to call you Fluffs," Miley said softly.
"That's your present from your uncle Brock," Gary told her as he reached for the next pokéball. "This next one is a gift from your mom."
With a flash of light a small Horsea emerged from the pokeball Miley now held. "Oh wow! Mom's Kingdra is one of my favorite Pokémon! I'm going to call you Sea!" Miley exclaimed with a smile of satisfaction.
Gary retrieved the final pokéball and handed it to his daughter. "Last but not least, here is your third Pokémon I also helped with this one."
Miley excitedly took the pokéball and called for her new Eevee. The girl squeaked as she picked the little Eevee up and cradled it into the spot where her breasts would eventually develop. "Rachael named hers Vee so I'm going to name you Eve," she decided with a pleased smile.
Both girls now stood side by side, holding their new Eevees. Gary pressed a button and the domed pillar began to retract into the floor. Once it had descended fully, he led the girls out of the lab. "You both should show your mothers your new Pokémon," He suggested as he turned to head back into the lab.
Rachael glanced at her cousin and said, "You should go show everybody and then finish packing. I will stop by your house in an hour so we can head out. I want to make it to Viridian by tonight."
"Okay," Miley replied as she turned to walk home, "See you later!"
Rachael and Misty said their goodbyes as they embraced. "Call me when you get to Viridian, honey," Misty called, her eyes tearing as she watched her daughter set off on her journey.
An hour later, Rachael walked through the door of the Oak household. "Miley, are you ready yet?" She called up the stairs. A few moments later, Miley started down the stairs, clutching five bags haphazardly. The older girl eyed the luggage and asked, "Forget anything?"
Miley, oblivious to the sarcasm, responded, "No, I think I got everything.
Rachael rolled her eyes. "I know coordinators and breeders who carry less baggage!" Miley looked at her, shocked by what Rachael had just said. "What did you do, pack a new outfit for each trainer battle? You aren't going to be able to carry all of that," Rachael said bluntly.
Miley smiled shyly as she responded, "I was hoping that you would carry half. Please?"
The older girl shook her head. "No! You're only taking one bag." Miley whined and stormed back up the stairs to consolidate her things.
About twenty minutes later, Miley came charging down the stairs with a single bag slung over her shoulder. "Are you ready to go?" Rachael asked.
"Yeah!" Miley said as she sped past her cousin, toward the front door. The girls stepped outside and squinted into the sunlight. Rachael let Vee out of its pokeball as they walked, which Miley mimicked by setting Eve free. They both picked up their Pokémon and cuddled them tightly, looking at each other for a moment as a sudden uncertainty set in.
"Are you ready to do this, Miles?" Rachael asked. The fear vanished from both of them as they listened to their Eevees speak to each other softly. Suddenly the girls smiled at each other.
"You bet your Butterfree I am!" Miley exclaimed.
Rachael turned and headed down the road out of Pallet Town, which led into the rest of Kanto.
"Woohoo!" Miley exclaimed, skipping alongside her cousin. "We're building a team and we're going to train all day long because we're on the road to Viridian City!"
Rachael rolled her eyes, though the younger girl's antics didn't really bother her. She had her official pokédex in her pocket and one of her first Pokémon in her arms. Her journey had finally begun!