Pallet town – Day 2

My friend, Leaf!

Clover was sitting by the window, looking at the gray sky. Rain was but a drizzle, yet the ominous cloud loomed on the horizon and the TV reporter said the weather is just not good enough for travel. Just as well. Her Bulbasaur was at the Pokemon lab and currently, professor's aides were taking care of it. However, its injuries were extensive, and all she could do was wait. As she was looking through the window deep in her thoughts, a door-bell woke her up from the daydream.

"Come in!" she yelled. A girl with a white hat and amber hair came in.

"Hey, Beanstalk!"

"Hey, Leaf!" Clover came to life.

"How is your Bulbasaur holding up?" she asked, sitting by the table.

"She'll make a full recovery. Bulbasaurs are tough, you know?"

"I do! I wanted a Bulbasaur too. Alas, I got the Squirtle. However, we're friends already!"

"Where is Red?"

"You know Red. He prefers battling to talking. He's home, poring over the Pokemon magazine to get as much knowledge as he can before we embark on our journey."

"Speaking of travel, the weather is bad." Clover uttered.

"Yeah. But it didn't stop Ash Ketchum. He's already on his way!"

"Really? He got a Pokemon?"

"Apparently so, yes. Oak has a very difficult Pikachu. That Pokemon is one of a kind, very powerful. I've heard it's at the level of a weaker Raichu already! That's how powerful it is. However, it means no trainer could handle it."

"You think Ash is in trouble?"

"Have you seen the thunder that broke the sky this afternoon, before this foul weather started? It can't be an accident, it was a Pokemon. I think Ash got more than he can handle."

"I hope I will confront him in the battle one day."

"Maybe. Speaking of which, Red wanted to fight your Bulbasaur. His Charmeleon already beat my Squirtle. He lost to Gary, tho."

"Figures. That walking ass is merciless and would stop at nothing to win."

"I thought you two were friends."

"Hmph. I'd rather be friends with a Team Rocket grunt."

"Preach, sister. Hey, the rain has subsided. Let's see how's your Bulbasaur's doing!"

Leaf always had a weird pattern of walking. She wouldn't go straight to where she wanted to. Rather, she would meander around, constantly discovering alternative routes to her intended location. This is why two girls now crossed the fence around the lab, going from the other side. Plenty of Pokemon around glanced at them strangely. Clover had problems climbing, but Leaf aided her and together they walked towards the back door.

"You could have just used the main door." stern voice stopped them.

"Professor Oak! It's not me; it's Leaf! She's a weirdo here!" Clover defended herself.

"Leaf, for Pete's sake! I thought it was a criminal wanting to steal my Pokemon!"

Leaf smiled and scratched the back of her head.

"Well, I reckon you two came to see the Bulbasaur, no?" he asked.

"Yes, we have! Is she better?" Clover asked.

"Oh-ho! You already know her gender? You have an excellent eye for Pokemon, young Clover!" Professor said.

"Isn't it obvious? She just looks like a lady."

"Actually, there's only roughly twelve percent chance for any Bulbasaur to be female. That's why female Bulbasaurs are extremely rare."

"I'm lucky then! But I still want to see her, professor!"

"Patience! She's still recovering. Come with me and I will show you."

Bulbasaur laid down on the small, comfortable bed, sleeping. It had an infusion needle in it's paw and a bottle was slowly dripping the fluids into its body. Aside of that, it looked comfortable, and most importantly, safe.

"Was the damage so bad?" she asked.

"Yes, but she'll recover. Don't worry."

"What will I do if she gets injured while we travel?"

"Out in the cities, Pokemon centers have a rapid healing system. You can just plug your Pokeball and get your Pokemon cured in no time. Out here, however, I prefer healing Pokemon the traditional way. Nothing changes human touch and care only our hand can give." Professor said.

"Yes, but now it thinks you're the one who saved her."

"True, however, you don't have any medical knowledge, do you?"

"Ah, that's true. I guess I'll stick to Pokemon Centers then."

"Very wise. Leaf, do you intend to travel with her?" the professor asked.

"I intend traveling alone, Professor. Red wants to travel by himself as well." Leaf said.

"It's a shame. There's plenty you can learn only by traveling together. But you all should find your own way in the end."

Clover knelt by the side of her Bulbasaur, patting its bulb.

"Professor, when will I be able to start? I'm eager to go on an adventure. Besides, Gary and Ash both already started."

"Let's see… your Bulbasaur is very vital. She's already recovered and will be fit to travel by the next morning. Leave her here to rest one night. Swing by tomorrow and you can pick her up."

"Is she surely going to be okay?"

"Yes, I'm quite sure of it. Now leave her to rest; she needs the peace… and I need some myself." Oak chuckled.

Clover sat at her bedside, staring through the window of her attic room. Moonlight shone over Pallet brightly, but no matter how much she stared sky still remained as dark as ever. Night didn't pass any faster just because she wished it so. Sleeping, of course, was out of question. Were it only excitement that kept her awake! Her leg was hurting worse than the usual, whole leg below her knee burned as if was still on fire. The phantom pain was so severe, as if the fire still burned her bones. At nights like these, she would sweat, toss and turn. She reckoned she wouldn't get enough sleep.

Clover threw herself back to the bed, staring at the ceiling. The pain was so intense, she involuntarily cried. Why did this happen the night before her travel? Her mom was asleep, she didn't want to wake her up, her Bulbasaur was resting and there was no one to comfort her. This made her cry even more. All of a sudden, a thump on the window woke her up.

"Hey, Clo! Open up!"

"Leaf?! What are you doing here?!"

Clover opened the window and Leaf crawled in.

"How did you get up here?" she asked.

"I climbed the tree nearby and jumped. It was easy."

"Maybe for you…"

"By all that's sacred, what happened to you?" Leaf asked, noticing her swollen cheeks and red eyes.

"I'm not quite certain I want to bother you with this. You should be sleeping back home, Leaf."

"Call me weird, but I had an inkling, tiniest inkling my friend is in trouble. And when I get visited by that inkling, I tend to listen to what it has to say. So open up! I'm here for you."

"It's the leg. It's the fricking leg, Leaf. It still hurts as if it's here. I just can't sleep when it happens. And what's worse, I can't even rub it to make it go away."

"Wait, you're saying the air below your knee hurts?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying. I can't even explain it. I just want to sleep! Tomorrow I start my journey and would hate to wake up feeling like a zombie!"

Leaf smiled with a grin that usually says:"I have a plan whether you like it or not."

"I have an idea!" she uttered.

"I knew it. What's on your mind?"

"Screw the sleep! Let's go to the windmill! I will carry you up and we can watch the moon with my father's spyglass! Maybe we can see a Pokemon too, what do you say?"

"Will it make my pain go away?"

"No, but you may forget about it."

"Alright, I'm game. Anything that can help put my mind at ease."

The windmill slowly turned on the hill above the city, behind Oak's Pokemon lab. Leaf and Clover looked at it lazily turned around and suddenly felt rather wistful. Everything they knew was here, all that they ever knew was this small town and its surroundings. The thought they will leave soon hanged heavy on them, yet none of them wanted to admit it to one another. It was but a moment of waiting before Leaf grinned and said:"Let's go, Clover! Last one pays for lunch!"

"You idiot… there won't be any lunches together anymore.." Clover uttered.

"What are you going on about, Clover?! Let's go!"

She took her friend in her arms and carried her to the entrance to the windmill.

"I'm not a baby. Put me down."

"Fine! Let's get up there!"

Girls have climbed to the top of the windmill, looking through the window. It was a beautiful night, one of rare ones they had lately. The weather was changing a lot lately, so it was fitting to have one night before they leave being the beautiful one.

"Hey, Leaf, do you remember when we first met?" Clover asked. Leaf smiled.

"Yes… I do. Red and I moved here when we were five. It was five years already, huh?"

"So it seems. It feels odd that we'll go separate ways tomorrow. I'm so used to you, Ash, Red, even that idiot Gary. And now we're all just falling apart. It doesn't seem fair." she said.

"Such is the life, isn't it? We go on the adventure and one day, we might see each other again! Imagine how exciting it will be to meet up and fight after we all become tougher!"

"It just makes me feel sad now that the moment came."

"Are you going to be all mopey now? Now that you already got your Pokemon and everything else?"

"But isn't it true? We won't be together any longer..."

"Clover… be happy. Please." Leaf said and her face straightened.

"Leaf… I don't want us to be apart. Please, travel with me."

Leaf's face changed.

"No, Clo. I made a promise to myself, to my Squirtle and my family. I will travel alone, I will become tough and one day become a League champion. If I stay with you, I won't be able to let go of the past."

"Oh come on, now you're being mopey! We're friends! Oak said we can help each other! We can help each other grow!"

"Clover!" Leaf yelled and her eyes filled with tears.

"Stop saying such things! I want to stay with you, forever! You're my best friend, damn it! Why do you say such stupid things!"

"I don't want to leave you either!" Leaf screamed and hugged her, bursting into tears.

"Then stay with me! Why are you doing this?"

"Why are we like this anyway?" she laughed through tears, saying:"We will meet each other again anyway. Let's not focus on this bad stuff, okay?"

"You wanted to help me and now we both got ourselves teary-eyed." Clover chuckled.

"How true!" Leaf said. Suddenly, her expression changed.

"Hey, Clover, look! Look there, at the sky!"

They quickly turned their attention towards the sky. There was a strange Pokemon, like nothing they've ever seen before. It looked strange, shining brighter than any star. In their whole life, they've never seen anything like this.

"What is that Pokemon?" Clover asked.

"Beats me. I don't have Pokedex yet. We'll get one tomorrow before we go."

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"It indeed is. The world is our Cloyster, sister! We will catch every one of these, and one day, we will catch this one as well and by we, I mean myself."

"No fair! I will get it!"

"Maybe there's two! But that's not important now. We'll become toughest female trainers in the region nevertheless! We will show those hat-wearing losers what a real Pokemon trainer looks like!" Leaf exclaimed.

"We're wearing hat too, aren't we?" Clover smiled.

"This is a trilby, a trilby! And you're wearing a beret! Only losers wear hats! Hear me, the world! Ash Ketchum and Red are losers and we are better!" Leaf yelled.

"Losers! Biggest losers in the world!" Clover yelled.

"RIGHT?! Who wears the hat like that anyway?! It's so out of fashion!"

"I KNOW, RIGHT?!"

"That's why two of us, my sister, will beat them at every step!" she uttered, putting the hand around her shoulder, continuing:"Besides, grass and water is better than fire and electricity!" she uttered.

"Uhm, I think you got it wrong. Their combination would destroy us." Clover said.

"Psst! They might think they have a chance to win if they hear you!"

"Right! And we don't want that, do we?"

"Now you're speaking my language!"

Leaf leaned out of the window, yelling once more:"ASH KETCHUM IS A LOSER!"

"Pipe it down!" somebody yelled from the distance.

"Maybe we should go back to my room. Let's play cards or do something that is less likely to have us end up in trouble." Clover said.

"Music to my ears. I was just getting bored of this windmill anyway."

In the end, girls barely even slept. With Clover's painful leg and the card game being more exciting than expected, night passed on quickly. In fact, they've realized they've spent the night awake only when the Pidgeotto cried out in the morning.

"Oh shit, sis! Pidgeotto is up! We didn't sleep, at all!" Leaf said, looking at her over the cup of warm cocoa.

"It's already that late?!"

"Right? I didn't even notice!"

"Well, you know what they say, early Pidgey catches two Caterpies! Let's go!"

"As in now? Come on, Beanstalk, it's not even 6 yet! Oak is sleeping. Show me that Pokemon magazine you gloated about the other day."

"But- fine. Alright."

The Pokemon magazine was interesting, very interesting. Leaf was so absorbed in it, and Clover lost herself in thoughts and explanations. There were images of many Pokemon, a lot of them rare, even shots of the Pokemon from other regions. Local Pokedex, apparently, had no mention of these but sightings of such rare Pokemon sparked imaginations of scientists and common trainers alike.

"This one is, apparently, called Cyndaquil. It has quill like fire on its back and is very rare, even in the Johto region where it supposedly comes from. Scientists from Johto have uncovered their findings about it on the symposium last year, and the difference of Pokemon in varying regions changed the way they view Pokemon as whole." Clover explained.

"Wow… there are one hundred and fifty one Pokemon discovered in Kanto as of now. Imagine how much you could see if you decide to travel the world?"

"That's right! It's my dream to travel the world, Leaf, and see all sorts of Pokemon. I want to become a Champion alright, but my main goal is to see as much as I can."

"That's very ambitious, sis. Me? I'll be fine with sticking to Kanto. I'm all for adventure, but I mean to become the Champion of Indigo league, right here. If I win, I will open my Pokemon day-care. If I lose, well, I'll try again until I win!"

"You don't want to see the Cyndaquil, and the others?"

"I do, of course. But… well…"

"Yes?"

"I'm a homebody, okay? I love being here."

"Didn't you say the world is our Cloyster?" Clover smiled.

"I said Cloyster, not some other shell Pokemon from other region."

"You'll sing a different tune once you get bored of Kanto, you'll see.

"Maybe!"

They've continued reading, and time went on. And on.

"And then, professor Oak said:"That's not a Pokemon! That's my dinner!" Clover said, breaking in laughter.

"Ah! Ahahah! Did it actually get caught?"

"No, the trainer threw the Pokeball, but of course it just got tangled in the spaghetti."

"How can anyone be so dumb as to think a bowl of pasta is a Pokemon?"

"With so many new Pokemon out there, who knows." Clover shrugged.

"Beanstalk, what time is it?"

Clover turned to check the clock she got two years ago as a get-well present. Her face gradually went pale.

"We're late." she uttered.

"You jest."

"No." she was mortified.

"How much?" Leaf carefully asked.

"Two hours."

"Oh. Shit."

"LET'S GO!"

They barely even said goodbyes. Pokemon lab was not far from Clover's home, and even still they ran as fast as Clover could go. Of course, when they burst through the door, Oak looked less than pleased to see them so late. He got up from his studies, looking at them with disbelief.

"I'm very disappointed, girls. I expected more from you."

"We're terribly sorry, professor Oak!" Clover yelled, pushing Leaf down to bow in apology along with her.

"As well as you should be. I planned to send you two on an errand at Viridian. However, you were late, so I sent Red instead. He shows great promise as a trainer, and he definitively isn't late."

"Yeah, well, we're here now. Where's our Pokedex?" Clover asked.

"You will get your Pokedex. When Red returns." the professor said.

"What?! But that could take hours!"

"If you weren't late, you would already be on an adventure. Now be patient and wait."

"May I at least get my Bulbasaur?" Clover asked.

"Of course. There is something else I have for you. Come with me."

Clover followed Oak to the backroom where he kept her Bulbasaur. Her Pokemon was well now, eating from a small bowl along with a tiny Nidoran and Rattata. When it saw her, it stopped eating and grinned.

"Bulba-saur!" it uttered.

"Bulbasaur, I'm so glad you're fine!"

Oak chuckled.

"She's been impatient to see you, young Clover. You ought to apologize to her as well."

"I'm sorry, Bulbasaur! I lost the track of time!"

Bulbasaur merrily mused and continued eating.

"Now, for that thing I mentioned to you earlier. Here, take these." Oak handed her two strong, dark ropes with metal rings and straps on the end.

"What's this?"

"I have saved your Bulbasaur from the fire that night. Naturally, it meant I had a lot of time to think about the way to prepare her for you."

Seeing Clover's face turning into you-should-have-told-me stare, Oak raised his arms:"Now, now, don't get indignant with me. I intended to surprise you for your tenth birthday. At any rate, you already know it can't use its wine whip."

"Yes, I have noticed. It has stumps."

"Indeed." Oak glanced at her leg, before he continued explaining:"These are specifically, custom made extensions for Pokemon with disabilities. I ordered them a while ago. When you need to have your Bulbasaur use her vine whip, merely put these on."

"Can she fight with these?"

"For Pete's sake, no! They're not strong enough to withstand the strain the battle would do. But at least she will be able to use her whips."

"Ah..."

"Don't be disappointed, young Clover. Even without whips, Bulbasaur is a strong Pokemon. One more thing!"

Oak rummaged around the bag, finding a small leaf with a plastic ring at the end.

"Here. Your Bulbasaur is afraid of the light. Use this instead of parasol, until it gets used to the light."

"Thank you, professor! This means a lot!"

"Don't mention it! I'm here to help young trainers in any way I can! Now let's return. Red might already be back."

They went back to the lab. Leaf fed her Squirtle from the hand, and Red was indeed already here, checking his Charmander out, spraying it with a small, purple bottle.

"Red, you're back!" Oak said.

Red nodded and said:"Indeed." smiling a bit.

"Your Charmander looks fit, healthy and friendly. By the way it looks at you, I can tell you're already a great trainer."

"Your words humble me, professor."

"No need to be humble, Red. Did you get the parcel I asked you for?"

"I have. However, I encountered an odd individual on my way back."

"Oh?"

"I'm not sure who he was. He was very tall. Looked like a Pokemon trainer. I challenged him to a fight, but he just ignored me and went on."

"Did he look dangerous?"

"I'm not sure."

"Well, no matter. Let me take the parcel."

Oak unpacked the parcel. It was a plastic pack full of Pokeballs.

"Red, Leaf, Clover. You three are already great trainers in my eyes. The bond you have with the Pokemon I gave you is simply remarkable. This is why I will give each of you this special Pokedex I myself helped developing. It's called Dexter. When you see a Pokemon you don't know anything about, simply ask and it will give you a detailed explanation."

He handed each one of them a Pokedex. It was roughly the size of a hand, yet the fact it had data on every Pokemon in the region astounded them.

"Also, this Pokedex has additional feature. Red, open the Pokedex and click the green button with 'Pokemon' written over it!"

Red did as Oak asked him to.

"What should I do now?" he asked.

"Look at the screen. You can see the Pokemon you currently own and it's level of experience."

"It says Charmander, level 10."

"Indeed. Now click on the Pokemon and open the 'summary' section. You can see detailed description of your Pokemon's nature, his abilities and moves it currently has. This will come in handy when you train your Pokemon."

"Okay, that's amazing." Red said.

"Well, thank you! Now, before all of you leave, I'd like to give each one of you your own Pokeballs."

He handed each one of them five Pokemons from the plastic pack he ordered. There was one that looked a bit different from the others and he gave it to Clover.

"Clover, I reckoned you might need this as well."

"What's that?"

"It's a special Pokeball for your Bulbasaur."

"Can't I just use the one I had?"

"Of course, however, that one was merely an improvised Pokeball I made by painting the regular one with a white acrylic. This one is specifically made to hold a Pokemon with disability. It's more comfortable, and offers a nice shade to keep the sun away."

"Is this why you needed a special order?" she asked.

"Indeed! In fact, be thankful to Red. Some others might not make such undertaking for others without expecting anything in return."

"Red… thank you." Clover said. Red nodded and smiled.

"Well, there's nothing else I can give you. The road north of Pallet crosses the route between here and Viridian. Red knows the way, so if you get lost you can always ask him for help."

Next chapter: Goodbye, Pallet!