Pokémon Brayden: FireRed Prologue
Chapter 3
"Now then, Brayden, let's get down to business," Professor Oak said.
He and Brayden were back inside the Pokémon Lab. To the right of where Oak was standing was a small table with three Poké Balls sitting on it, and Brayden's attention was on these capsules.
"Today you are ten years old, and as such you may choose one of these Starter Pokémon to start your journey with. With its help, you will catch more Pokémon and aid me with my research, and of course take on the Pokémon League," Oak explained.
This was it. The moment had finally arrived, for real this time! "Thank you so much, Professor!" Brayden said gratefully. But as Brayden was reaching for the Poké Ball containing the Pokémon he wanted, the door to the lab slammed open.
Standing in the doorway was a boy with spiked brown hair and a very large smirk on his face. Brayden knew exactly who this boy was. He had received his own Pokémon and Pokédex just two years ago, and conquered the League in a very short time before his Champion title was taken the very same day he earned it. And he also happened to be Professor Oak's grandson, a fact that he loved to remind people of.
"BLUE! Oak scolded the older boy. "Haven't I told you that it's rude to slam doors?" The Professor was clearly frustrated. Apparently, Blue had done this many times before. "If that door breaks, YOU are paying for a replacement." "Ah, lighten up, Gramps. I just wanted everyone here to know that true greatness has arrived!" Blue replied, as he shut the door and walked over, still smirking.
Brayden had heard about how arrogant Blue was, to the point that many disliked him, including some of the Gym Leaders. And as he saw this older boy acting so high and mighty, he understood exactly why.
Oak sighed. "I had hoped that losing your Champion title to Red had mellowed you out and given you the chance to learn from your mistakes, but it seems you're back to your old self again. I'm quite disappointed in you, grandson."
"Yeah, why are you acting like a jerk, Blue? We all know you aren't the best Trainer. So quit acting like that," Brayden said firmly. Professor Oak grimaced. His prideful grandson had just been insulted by a new Trainer. This couldn't possibly end well.
Blue scowled at Brayden. "So, Gramps," he said, turning back to Oak, "Who's THIS kid? Is he the newest Trainer?" Blue turned back to Brayden, still scowling. Brayden scowled back. "That's right, and pretty soon I'll be the next Champion, so I wouldn't be so confident if I were you!"
Blue went from anger, to confusion, and then, to uncontrollable laughter, much to Brayden's frustration. "AHAHAHAHAHAHA! YOU? CHAMPION?! GIVE ME A BREAK!" Brayden growled in response.
"Come now, Blue. Don't judge Brayden so soon. He hasn't even picked his first Pokémon yet." Oak said, trying to calm the situation.
As Blue finally forced himself to quit laughing at Brayden's expense (though not without difficulty), he remembered the reason he had stopped by in the first place.
"Okay, Gramps, I just wanted another Pokémon from you. I'm gonna train a new batch of Pokémon and finally beat Red!" Blue said proudly.
"What? Whoever said you could get another Starter Pokémon?" Professor Oak replied.
"Is there a problem with that? Are there some other kids in town who'll be Trainers soon?" Blue asked.
"Well, uh… no," Oak said carefully. "But you'll still have to let Brayden pick first. It's only fair, Blue."
"Second pick AGAIN?!" Blue said, annoyed. "Guess I don't have a choice," he mumbled as he folded his arms.
Brayden felt immense satisfaction seeing Oak suppress Blue. But now, it was time to pick. "Where was I before I was so rudely interrupted?" He whispered to himself. He had been so distracted by Blue's mocking attitude that he had momentarily forgotten which Pokémon he had chosen before this day had even arrived.
He searched his mind, flashing back to three years ago, when he saw the three Starter Pokémon for the first time at school, brought there by Professor Oak for a lesson. The Grass-type Seed Pokémon, Bulbasaur, the Fire-type Lizard Pokémon, Charmander, and the Water-type Tiny Turtle Pokémon, Squirtle. They all seemed great, but he was particularly drawn to Squirtle and Charmander.
Brayden couldn't quite decide between the two, so he figured he would learn what they evolve into and make his choice based on that. Many of the kids in Pallet Town had already set their hearts on Charmander. As Brayden soon figured out, it was mainly because of its final evolved form, Charizard.
Renowned for their strength, ability to fly with their wings, and love for battles, many dreamed of battling with a Charizard of their own. Brayden liked Charizard a lot, and for a time it seemed he was going to pick Charmander. However, just five months ago, he realized that he never saw what Squirtle evolves into, and asked for a picture of it. Brayden was amazed. That tough shell! The hydro cannons! That determined expression seemed to say, 'pick me and I will never let you down!' That was all Brayden needed to make up his mind.
Brayden placed his hand on the Poké Ball in the middle of the table. "I choose…SQUIRTLE!" He pressed the button and threw the ball straight up. The ball burst open, and the Tiny Turtle Pokémon appeared! "Squirtle!" it cried. It did a front flip and landed on the floor in front of Brayden, where it struck a determined pose.
"Ah, Squirtle! An excellent choice. This one is quite eager to battle, so I'd say it's the perfect partner for you!" Oak stated.
"Awesome! Great to meet you, Squirtle! We'll be great friends, and take on the League!" Brayden said cheerfully to Squirtle. "Squirtle Squirt!" The Tiny Turtle Pokémon nodded happily.
"Now then, Brayden, here's your Pokédex." Professor Oak handed Brayden a red device. "Whenever you meet a new Pokémon, scan it with the Pokédex and add its data."
Brayden proudly accepted it. "Thanks, Professor." He immediately turned it on and scanned Squirtle.
"Squirtle. The Tiny Turtle Pokémon. A Water type. When it retracts its long neck into its shell, it squirts out water with vigorous force." "That's pretty cool," Brayden said.
Blue yawned. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Now it's my turn! I'm picking Bulbasaur!" He swiped the Poké Ball on the left side of the table. "With this, I'll be sure to become Champion again!"
Brayden rolled his eyes. "Whatever, Mr.I-Lost-My-Title-In-Less-Than-An-Hour." Blue jolted. "That little brat! I'll show him he's nothing compared to me!" he thought to himself.
As Brayden turned to leave, Blue blocked his path. "Hold on there, kid. Allow me to show you how a real Trainer fights! Let's battle!"
"Really?" Brayden replied. "I thought you'd never ask! Ready, Squirtle?" "Squirtle!" Squirtle nodded.
"Let's take this outside!" Blue pointed to the door. "I don't want Gramps to yell at me if something in here gets broken."
Brayden nodded. "Fine with me!"
As the three of them ran out, Oak facepalmed. "Oh, for Pete's sake. Just like before. That grandson of mine never learns."
Author's Note: Awesome! We're finally getting somewhere! The previous two chapters were really short, so I made sure to make this one longer. Expect more chapters this length down the line! Next up is Brayden's first Trainer battle!