Our story begins on a cold and frosty morning in a remote village in the north-west corner of the Espoh region. The town, Rockstall Town, is situated on the coast, though it is not by any means considered a favourable place to live within the region. The town is more or less surrounded by tall, steep, rocky mountains that loom all around it, sometimes limiting the town's exposure to sunlight, and, along with there being only one main road in and out of the village, oftentimes its residents felt trapped, isolated and melancholic.
As such, the town had a negative reputation across the region and combined with its relative isolation from other settlements in the region both led to low levels of tourism or trade, with the town's economy suffering as a result. The streets of Rockstall Town were generally cold due to the town's latitude and were also miserable, with little atmosphere and life to them. The only sounds really of note to be heard in the town's streets were the distant rumbles of Graveler rolling down the mountains nearby, and the repetitive cries of Wingull down by the seafront.
On this morning, the sun had finally begun to rise over the mountain to the east of Rockstall Town, flooding the frost-covered settlement in a golden orange. The rays landed through the bedroom window of our protagonist, Josh. Josh is an average built, slightly tall, young man with medium-length dark brown hair and a large, defined jawline - conventionally quite an attractive man, though due to him being the only person his age who hadn't yet up and left the village, and his busy lifestyle, remained single.
The sunlight shining through Josh's bedroom window began to wake him up from his deep slumber, a gradual process which involved him falling back into sleep two or three times, dreaming about his fantasies of leaving his hometown and going on a journey with Pokémon, which was how most of his mornings went before his alarm clock would go off at 08:00 to signal to him to properly wake up. As the clock hit 08:00 and he lazily shut it off, rubbing his eyes, Josh remembered that today was in fact his 21st birthday.
Not usually one to rise out bed so quickly, Josh got up, showered and dressed faster than usual. Excited, Josh knew that now he turned 21 today, he finally now had the opportunity to leave his depressing village and go on his own journey with Pokémon. Making his way downstairs, he was greeted by his Uncle Dean, a slender man in his 50s, who was more frail than he should be for his age.
"Ah, good morning, son." Dean greeted him as he came down the stairs. Of course, Josh was his nephew, but Josh had been living with his uncle since he can remember, and so Dean viewed Josh essentially as his own son, and Josh viewing Dean as his father, while still referring to him as his uncle. However, whenever Josh tried to enquire to Dean about the fate of his parents, Dean would always get touchy about the subject and quickly close it, not wanting to discuss it any further, no matter how hard Josh pushed him or told him how he deserves to know. It always led into an argument between the two, so Josh rarely brought it up.
"Happy birthday!" Dean wished him, going in for a hug at the bottom of the stairs.
"Thank you, Uncle." Josh replied, returning the hug briefly before breaking it. With that, Dean grabbed back onto his cane and sat down into a nearby dining table chair.
Josh sat down opposite Dean, tapping his fingers onto the table in anticipation. He knew what was coming next. Dean couldn't help but crack a slight smile with the knowledge that his nephew knew what he was about to hear and how excited he was about it.
"Now," Dean started, trying to maintain his usual, serious demeanour. "Firstly, I want to let you know just how grateful I am for all the help you have given me in the store over the last few years." Dean told him.
Dean owned a hobby-craft store near the coast, in which Josh had spent his time since leaving school helping him run by working in, postponing the start of his Pokémon journey in the process. Josh did not mind too much doing so though, as his Uncle Dean had sustained an detrimental injury to his upper left leg sometime before Josh was born, the origins of which he fiercely rejected to even remotely discuss. That, along with the run-down economy of Rockstall Town, Josh knew that had not stuck around to help, it was very likely that Dean's store would have gone into bankruptcy long ago.
"I cannot put into words how much it has helped me. I now have a good amount of savings, and it seems I'll remain financially stable into my retirement." He informed Josh. "I think it's high time you head out there and make something of yourself."
Josh grinned, leaning forward in his chair. "I had a feeling this conversation would happen."
"Mm-hmm." Dean affirmed while nodding slightly. "Even if you were to disagree, which I doubt you would, I wouldn't take no for an answer. You absolutely must go and leave this damn town. Especially now that you're 21, you need to be out there on a journey around the region, making your own stories and living your own experiences."
Josh nodded. He knew that he couldn't stay in Rockstall Town any longer.
"Now," Dean continued. "I am somewhat glad you're heading out of here with a bit more maturity to you than compared to how you may have left if you went off, say, five years ago. I truly believe you have an incredible potential to succeed in whatever you wish to become once out there. It's just…" He trailed off.
Josh kept his stare fixated on him. What his uncle said had resonated with him, he was pleased to hear his uncle's faith in him, but anxious about the tone he was about to take.
"There are a few things you should know before you head off." He stated with a stern sincerity. "Firstly, and, don't get me wrong, I don't want to make you nervous before you head off out there," he told Josh. "But the world outside of Rockstall is dangerous." He informed him with a fixed glare, making Josh slightly uncomfortable. "There are many risks that face you upon heading out into the open. Like disease, injury, exposure to the elements, that's not to mention the risk of dismemberment… Even death, at the hands of a feral Pokémon…" His uncle trailed off again.
Josh began to fidget, not feeling especially encouraged by his uncle's words. "Hmm." He simply retorted.
"Now Josh, I want you to understand I'm not saying this because I want you to feel intimidated about leaving Rockstall." Dean said, picking up on Josh's rising anxiety. "I have faith in you, but I will sleep a lot better while you are gone knowing that you have full understanding of the potential dangers that await you out there." He told Josh in a point-blank fashion.
Josh nodded. "Yes, I'm aware. I do understand that it will be challenging and also possibly dangerous."
"That's great, as long as you do understand that, that knowledge will help keep you on your toes and be safe. But to truly help minimise the risks, you need to make sure you're with strong and loyal partners that will go lengths to protect you. Bonding with your Pokémon while training is the best way to go about this."
Josh nodded again. While he was still optimistic and excited, a shade of doubt began to fill his mind. Due to where he grew up, he hadn't a lot of experience with Pokémon, and was now questioning his ability to train, let alone bond, with one.
"Which brings me to my next point." His uncle continued. "I'm sure you know, but there is no research laboratory in this town. The only ways to obtain your first Pokémon is to either look for one being given away from a laboratory in the nearest town over, Oslat, or to risk catching one yourself. I'm afraid that both options are dangerous, as either way you'll be going out of Rockstall Town onto Route 52 on your own. It is best if you run into a wild Pokémon to simply run away." He informed him.
"Uh… Yeah, will do." Josh replied, now getting a bit uncomfortable again, this time at the thought of having to escape from a wild Pokémon.
"I would not worry too much, as Oslat is only a mere five miles away down the road, and most of the Pokémon around here are lazy Gravelers that I doubt would be more interested in bothering a human as much as they would rather find another few mossy rocks to eat. Regardless, I've provided you with six Pokéballs in your rucksack. Should you need to, you can always throw a Pokéball at a Pokémon to distract it, since it will spend a few seconds trying to escape. Alternatively, in the unlikely event that you find and meet a friendly Pokémon that wants to come with you, you can use one to catch it." Dean told him.
Josh stared at his uncle from across the table, trying to take everything he just told him in. He seemed quite knowledgeable for someone who he didn't think ever was a trainer. He was once again felt a small tinge of doubt, wondering if he would indeed make it to the town over, Oslat, safely, in order to collect his first Pokémon. A couple of worries entered his mind. What if he couldn't make it there? And even when he got his first Pokémon… Would it like him? In spite of his anxieties, he brushed them aside as he didn't want to make his uncle concerned, and knew that worrying would not do him any favours once he was out there.
"So… In your rucksack, is $10,000 Poke-Yen, ten Pokéballs, one tent, a fishing rod, two potions, and one Super Potion in case one of your team is badly injured." Dean informed Josh.
Josh's eyes widened. "Whoa – thank you, uncle! That's all… Very generous of you."
"Haha, when you've been running a business with a skilled and smart nephew, you can expect to be well off enough to not worry about some minor expenses." Dean replied.
"Thanks, uncle." Dean said, not very used to so much praise. "I better get going then." He told him, reaching in for a brief hug and going to grab his jacket and the rucksack that were placed on one of the dining table chairs, equipping them.
"I wish you the best of luck. I know you will be great in whatever you decide to do out there, be it Pokémon training or something else." Dean assured. "You should grab some breakfast before you leave town, though. You can't start an adventure on an empty stomach."
"Right." Dean replied with a nod. "Bye, uncle. I'll keep in touch whenever I run into a PokéCenter."
"Of course. Have fun… But, please stay safe and in contact. It's a big and rough world you're heading into…" His uncle reaffirmed.
"I understand." Josh told him. "Bye." He said with a slight wave as he headed out the door.
"Bye, Josh." Dean said as he watched him go, proud that his nephew was finally getting the chance to head out of Rockstall Town and experience a life for himself beyond it.
Josh closed the door behind him, equipped with his bagpack, shivering slightly and closing his jacket. It was still cold and frosty outside, and a sharp breeze was whistling down the street.
Josh began sighing into his hands, half in an expression of discomfort and half in an attempt to keep them warm, lacking gloves.
'I hope it warms up as the day goes on.' He wondered to himself before setting off, walking through the driveway and taking a right from the house, walking along the pavement.
Josh continued walking, eventually joining onto one of the only main roads in Rockstall, which also happened to be the road out of it, travelling westbound. As he walked down the main road, after ten minutes of walking Josh began to approach a small row of businesses that were situated alongside each other.
One of them, he noticed, was Golem Café, the town's only café, a shiny Golem's head as its logo. Like all of the business on the street, and throughout the town for that matter, it had seen better days. The black paint on its outside was peeling and the letters on the top reading the name next to the logo looked like they needed a polish.
Hesitantly, Josh opened the door, which creaked and rang a bell as he did so, wishing to grab some breakfast and a bit more time out of the cold. Despite living in Rockstall his whole life and knowing of this place, this was the first time he'd ever been in this café.
Josh felt a bit uneasy upon entering. Like everywhere else in the town, the atmosphere was dull and miserable. It looked like your average diner, but run down. Only one other person was there, sitting in a booth drinking a coffee alone, who gave Josh a couple of glares.
Josh approached the breakfast bar and sat down. A stocky, overweight, middle-aged woman behind the counter walked over towards him.
"How may I help you?" She asked him wearily, leaning against the counter with her arms. She had bags under her eyes and seemed tired.
"Hi. Can I get a grilled breakfast and a coffee, please?" Josh asked.
"Sure." She said, turning around. Ducking her head into the food preparation area, ordering a chef to start preparing Josh's breakfast, before walking towards the coffee machine and making a coffee.
Josh tapped his fingers on the counter. He continued to feel uncomfortable, especially with the older guy in the booth occasionally glaring at him still.
"I haven't seen you in here before, you know." The woman told Josh as she prepared his coffee.
"Yeah, I live in town, but have never visited. You have a nice place." Josh lied.
The lady scoffed. "Yeah. It is." She replied, not convinced.
The coffee ready, the stocky woman handed Josh his coffee. She glanced up and down at him briefly.
"You off somewhere?" She inquired with a raised eyebrow.
"Yep. I'm going off to be a Pokémon trainer." Josh told her, a small grin appearing on his face.
"Ah. Good for you." She said in a flat, uninterested voice, turning around and walking away.
(Damn. What is everyone's problem?) Josh thought to himself.
He then realised that everyone in the town was more or less trapped, and he was probably annoying others, sparking jealousy by simply having the opportunity to leave. Eating his breakfast, Josh decided not to dwell on it and to not feel guilty about leaving his cold, concrete hellhole of a 'hometown' that he was from. His uncle was always telling him to practice self-respect, and so Josh reminded himself that he deserved better.
Josh finished his meal, paid for it, and then headed back out into the cold, beginning to walk further towards the town's edge. After ten minutes of walking, the houses he were passing by more or less stopped, and he was now out onto Route 52, following it and was now walking up a hill. Once at the top, he took the chance to look back at his town one last time.
"Can't say I'll miss you too much." He flatly stated to himself, before turning back and walking on the now level ground towards Oslat.
Continuing to walk down Route 52 for a while, Josh eventually reached a wooden signpost reminding travellers the route the road was. One wooden arrow was pointing towards the direction he was walking from, reading 'Rockstall, 2 Miles' on it, and another arrow in the opposite direction, reading 'Oslat, 3 Miles'.
Josh began staring at the sign. According to it, he had already walked two miles down Route 52, which checked out to him. He was however, wondering why he hadn't seen a single other person, let alone a vehicle, travelling down the wide dirt road. Rockstall wasn't that isolated. Oslat, though smaller than Rockstall, was only five miles away. Surely he'd have seen a delivery truck or something drive by him by now. Of course, the town was a freezing cold and grey shithole, but Josh found it a bit weird that hardly anyone at all wanted to do any business there.
Josh stopped staring at the sign and turned to look to his right. Excitement and apprehension consumed him as he did so as he wondered about how this journey was going to go.
'How many gym badges could I collect?' Josh thought to himself. 'What Pokémon am I going to meet?'
Strangely, just as he finished his last thought, he was startled by a feeling of something being thrown at the back of his leg, being followed instantly by a crackly thud as the object hit the rocky terrain. Josh instinctively swivelled to see what it was that hit him, noticing that it was a pebble. Josh turned to the direction it seemed to have come from and raised an eyebrow.
"Is someone there?" Josh declared out, despite there not seeming to be a soul around.
Josh scanned the area. There wasn't anything to see besides a flat area with the earthy path running down the middle, grass to the sides, a couple of scattered lone boulders, and some rocky mountains surrounding the landscape in the distance.
Josh tensely stood there for a while. A cold breeze blew through the area, but other than that, there was complete silence. Eventually, Josh decided to move on, continuing his walk to Oslat while briefly looking behind him a couple of times.
Moments after, he heard the sound of a small rock landing a metre away from him, rolling down the path once it did so, clearly being thrown by someone, or something.
"OK! Who's there?" Josh demanded, trying to hide any sense of nervousness in his voice.
It was then that he heard a strange, deep chuckle.