Chapter 3 – Which Will You Choose?

"Hey! Wait! Don't go out! It's unsafe! Wild Pokémon live in tall grass!" Professor Oak materialised out of nowhere.

Professor Oak was a stout middle-aged man of 47 (he had Blue's dad when he was very young). His hair, once dark brown, had been reduced to a dull grey, styled to the right. Professor Oak used to be the Champion of the Indigo League but was now just a shell of his former self. Due to his relative solitude, he had a slightly failing memory.

Red stopped dead in his tracks and turned around. Where had Professor Oak been all this while? He opened his mouth to ask the burning question, but was hastily interrupted by the Professor.

"If you were wondering where I was, I was out here seeing if there were any wild Pokémon outside the boundaries of Pallet Town and Route 1. I've heard rumours of a mysterious Pokémon hiding there. Unfortunately, it seems to be just that, a rumour..." Professor Oak raised a finger and admitted sheepishly.

"If you want to step into the tall grass like that, you need your own Pokémon for your protection. I know! Here, come with me!" Professor Oak headed towards the lab.

Dutifully, Red followed.

In the lab, Blue was still there. It seemed like he was on the verge of leaving.

"Gramps! I'm fed up with waiting! I want to have my Pokémon now!" Blue exclaimed.

"Blue? Let me think…" Professor Oak looked confused for a moment. "Oh, that's right. I told you to come! Just wait!"

Blue was taken aback. "But…"

Ignoring him, Professor Oak turned to Red. "Here, Red! There are 3 Pokémon here!"

Now it was Red's turn to be confused. "Wait, Professor Oak, where are they?"

Blue comically fell, wheezing and clutching at his chest.

Professor Oak just smiled and said, "Haha! They are inside the Poké Balls. When I was young, I was a serious Pokémon trainer! In my old age, I have only 3 left, but you can have one! Choose!"

Impatiently, Blue asked, "Hey! Gramps! What about me?"

Professor Oak suddenly became stern. His thick black eyebrows dipped to form a 'V' shape. "Be patient, Blue!"

Blue cast a sly look at Red and said aloud, "Heh, I don't need to be greedy like you! Go ahead and choose, Red!"

"What's he playing at?" Red thought, flustered.

"Fine, I'll go first." Red resignedly said, taking in the three brand new Poké Balls, half red and half white, on the table.

Professor Oak pointed to the leftmost Poké Ball and recited, "This is Charmander, the Lizard Pokémon." Red looked at an image of an bright orange lizard Pokémon that was on a card in front of the Poké Ball. It stood on its two hind feet. Curiously, the tip of its tail seemed to be on fire. Below the image was Charmander's height and weight as well as a short paragraph describing it:

Obviously prefers hot places. When it rains, steam is said to spout from the tip of its tail.

"The next one is Squirtle, the TinyTurtle Pokémon." Looking at the next card, Red saw that Squirtle was a light blue turtle with a ruddy red shell. It sported a bushy tail that resembled a squirrel's and walked on its stubby legs.

After birth, its back swells and hardens into a shell. Powerfully sprays foam from its mouth.

"Finally, Bulbasaur, the Seed Pokémon." Bulbasaur was a four-legged dinosaur-like creature. Leaf green and with wide eyes, its most distinct feature was the large onion-like bulb growing on its back.

A strange seed was planted on its back at birth. The plant sprouts and grows with this Pokémon.

Red felt that Bulbasaur looked cute and had the impulse to choose it. However, he decided that he would not go for looks alone. After weighing all the options, He finally made a decision.

"So! You want the plant Pokémon, Bulbasaur?" Professor Oak asked.

"Yes!" Red confirmed.

Professor Oak handed the Poké Ball over to Red and remarked, "This Pokémon is really energetic!"

Then, the Professor explained, "If you give a nickname to your Pokémon, your bond will only grow stronger! So! Do you want to give a nickname to Bulbasaur?"

Red thought about it for a while, before finally deciding not to, seeing that that 'Bulbasaur' was a cool name already.

"Why did you take so long to choose? I'll take this one then!" Blue triumphantly walked over to grab a Poké Ball and pat Red on his back, a little too hard. Red noticed that Blue had picked Charmander.

"Heh, my Pokémon looks a lot stronger." Blue was acting cocky again.

Now that Red had received his Pokémon, he could not wait to get out and explore the region with his newfound friend, Bulbasaur. He eagerly made for the exit.

Unfortunately, as he was about to leave, Blue abruptly declared, "Wait, Red! Let's check out our Pokémon! Come on, I'll take you on!"

With those words, Red had started his very first Pokémon Battle.