My name is Catheri. My parents settled here in Unova from a faraway region. I was born and raised in the small dusty town of Aspertia City. When I say small dusty town, the school had so few students being taught in it it was just a single building with one classroom and one teacher: Mr Cheren. He, along with his assistant, taught everybody there, K-12 grade. Naturally, me and Hueso were taught the more advanced sides of mathematics and grammar and whatnot while everyone else was taught at their grade level. I used to think Mr Cheren was amazing because of that. (Well, I still do.) A year ago, it was Mr Cheren who was the assistant. He was the new face in town when he moved here two years ago from another small town across the region. I guess he quickly got the hang of teaching kids.
The only place of interest for a kid like me was an arcade where I'd spend most of my free time. And I wasn't alone, for I had Hueso alongside me, my neighbour and schoolmate, joining me when he could. There was a feeling of relief I sensed from him whenever he was there to unwind as I too. His real name was Hugh, but I called him Hueso due to him being skinny like a skeleton. But he was tall so I guess he had that going for him.
He told me that some people going by the name 'Team Plasma' had stolen his younger sister's Purrloin their late grandfather had caught for them. And that he'd make them pay for what they did. I truly believed him when he said that. If only I could've consoled him somehow, but I didn't know how.
Home life for me was a cocktail of mundane, peaceful and just plain average. It's probably the reason I grew up humourless. After finishing an education in school that included the standard education and the pokémon education, I inevitably, against my sheer lethargic body and mind, stepped outside. Not to go play video games at the arcade, but to meet with some woman named Bianca. Hueso was waiting outside my door for me, raring to go and find this Bianca woman. And after saying goodbye to my mom and hugging her for a last time for a long while until I'd see her again, I stepped into the outside world.
"Ready?" Hueso asks.
"Yeah," I reply, and then to my thoughts. Not really but, sure.
"Did she tell you where to meet her?"
I answer, "She said to meet her at the lookout."
"Edge of town, huh? I think I know where, I'll go on ahead."
He runs off.
"…Okay," I say to myself and start walking.
I look up at the long stairs leading up to the top of the hill and murmur to myself, "Ugh, what a pain. Where did Hueso go?" I had lost sight of him as he ran off earlier in town. Against my own word, exerting force into my legs, I walk up and up and up till I reach the top. At the edge of the platform stands a young woman. She looks about my age but, she is much bigger. I step forward and walk up to the railing next to her. I notice a rectangular box she has in her hands.
"Isn't the world beautiful?"
The view from the top of that hill is breathtaking. Nothing but endless trees and mountains all around as far as the eye can see.
It really is when you're up here. I thought to myself, but what I slip off my tongue is, "…Is it?"
"I think so," she says closing her eyes. She opens them back up, turns to me and says, "You must be Catheri. Cheren said he had two top students in his class eager to get out into the big world."
Eager, huh?
"I'm Bianca, an assistant of Professor Juniper. I apologise on her behalf for not being here to personally introduce you to your pokémon. By the way, where is your classmate? Do you have any idea?"
Nope. "He might've gotten–"
"Oh! There he is!"
I turn around to see Hueso coming up the stairs, hurrying in his usual fast pace towards us.
He says, "I'm sorry I'm late!"
"It's okay," Bianca says. "You're right on time, actually. Now," she takes the rectangular box and releases both latches. The top flips open to reveal three pokéballs nestled in their own indent. "These are the three starter pokémon of Unova. From left to right, there's the Grass Snake Pokémon: Snivy, the Fire Pig Pokémon: Tepig, and last but not least, the Sea Otter Pokémon: Oshawott. You can only choose one so make this choice count. In my opinion, they're all great. You can't really make a wrong choice here."
"Hmm…" I stare down at all three balls moving my eyeballs back and forth between them.
"You choose first," I say to Hueso, "that way I'll have a fifty fifty chance at deciding."
"No thanks," he says, "I already have a partner."
He takes out a pokéball he had in his waist pouch.
"What?" I say surprised at the revelation. "Then why are you here?"
Even Bianca says, "Yeah."
Hueso says, "I wanted to witness the moment a master is born."
Master? What are you…?
"Go on, Catheri. Choose the partner you'll travel with on this great journey."
"What are you(?) a fortuneteller?" I say.
"I just have a feeling," he says.
Bianca looks back and forth at both of us.
"Fine," I say. "I choose…Snivy."
I pick up the ball on the left, raise it up towards me, up to my face.
"Hello, Snivy," I whisper.
"Alright!" Hueso exclaims holding his pokéball in his hand towards me. "Let's have a battle!"
"W-what?" I say, nervous and slightly taken aback.
"Yeah, lets battle. We'll put our knowledge to the test."
"…Okay but, will Snivy be okay?" I look down at my pokéball in hand.
"Pokémon are born ready. At least mine was."
I look into Hueso's eyes. A fire burn's within them. For some reason, I understand.
"Okay," I make my statement, "lets battle."
"I'll be the referee!" Bianca exclaims. "This battle will be a one on one. The winner is the last pokémon standing. Are both trainers ready?"
"Yeah," Hueso says.
I follow in agreement. "Yes."
"Oh! Um, your Snivy knows tackle and leer, Catheri."
"Got it, thanks."
"Okay. Now, battle begin!" Bianca lowers her raised hand.
"Go! Snivy!
I throw the pokéball out in front of me. It opens and out from the shining flash of light appears Snivy. The capsule closes back shut and returns to my hand like a yoyo. It strange how that works.
"Go!" Hueso hurls his ball out and out comes a Tepig. "Tepig, I choose you!"
Realising the reference he's making to a legend I say, "You're such a showoff!"
"Let's not waist any time. Tepig, use tail whip!"
Tepig charges towards Snivy and spins around, hitting it's springy tail against Snivy, knocking it onto it's back.
"Snivy, stand back up and use leer!"
Quick to react to my words, on command, Snivy stands up but before it has a chance to use Leer, Hueso commands his Tepig to, "Tackle!"
The power of these creatures are expressed in writing as being strong, stronger than even strong people, to being outright destructive. One thing school doesn't teach you is the reality of battle. You can't fathom the strength these creatures hold from studying them through books. That is one thing you experience for yourself.
"Snivy!" I yell out out of concern.
My pokémon is struggling to stand on its two feet right in front of me. It's easy to study pokémon battle strategies until you actually put them to practice.
"Lets finish this. Tepig, tackle attack once more!"
In the end, I froze. It was nothing other than stage fright. I fall to my knees, dumbfounded, stuck in neutral for a couple of seconds. I look down at Snivy looking up to me, it's eyes weary. It let out its cry and I let out my tears. I wasn't crying because I lost, but because I just didn't want to see my pokémon getting hurt.
"Snivy, return. Rest up."
I return it back to it's pokéball. Hueso comes forward and holds out his hand. I look up at it then to him.
"That was good enough for your first battle."
He helps me stand back up.
"But I know you're better than that. Get stronger."
I wipe my face.
Bianca says, "The winner is Hugh!"
Hueso turns around and says, "I'm going to get stronger, together, Tepig and I. We'll see you around."
He leaves, making his way down the stairs.
"Oh, no! I forgot to give him his pokédex! Here, Catheri," she takes out a slick device from her bag and hands it to me. "I know you already know what this high tech piece of…tech does. The unequaled encyclopaedia of pokémon."
"I like it a lot. Thank you."
I look at it, rotate it around a bit in my hand and then flip the screen up. It reads the pokéball in my other hand and brings forth the registration information for Snivy. A woman's voice reads the text on screen aloud, "Snivy, the Grass Snake pokémon. A grass type. It is very intelligent and calm. Being exposed to lots of sunlight makes its movements swifter. They photosynthesise by bathing their tails in sunlight. When they are not feeling well, their tails droop." Hearing and reading that last line, I remember seeing my Snivy's tail down as I was holding it in my arms a moment ago.
"Do your best on your journey, Catheri! Hang in their. Chin up, head high, and have confidence in yourself!"
Her enthusiastic voice doesn't settle well with me, but I appreciate the small pep talk.
"I have to go give Hugh his pokédex. Now, which way? He couldn't have gotten far."
As she leaves, I decide to stay up there awhile, taking in the scenery, letting my mind come to terms with the realisation that this is my new life now. My journey as a pokémon trainer had begun.