A/N: So I've decided to type up a few more chapters. I can not guarantee that I'll have a chapter up every day though. Also, I'll address something else so there is no confusion. There are the regions of Kanto and Johto of course but sometimes I will refer to Indigo. I use Indigo when referring to both Kanto and Johto. Saying "the regions of Kanto and Johto" gets a bit repetitive after a while.
Anyway, hope you enjoy this next chapter.
Chapter 2: Leavetaking
As he approached the town centre, Skye walked up to the first house in sight. It was slightly bigger than the rest and its red roof stuck out between the other purple roofs. Skye knocked on the cream door and opened it when he heard a faint "Come in." In the house there were many children screaming and running and a tired looking man trying to calm all of them down. He looked up at Skye. "Hey Skye, Cooper is packing his bag in his room." "Thank you sir." said Skye as he navigated his way towards the staircase. He quickly ran up the stairway and stopped at the top. The hallway was crammed with boxes and files that couldn't fit elsewhere. Skye slowly stepped through being careful not to knock anything over. He walked a bit further and then turned right into what was easily the cleanest room of the house.
Natural light shone through the bedroom window which gave a spectacular view of the mountains. The room's layout was simple with only a bed to sleep on and a desk and old, rundown computer to work and study. Sitting at the desk was a black haired teenager whose body was decorated with several scratches and scars from wild Pokémon. Cooper had been one of Skye's best friends since they were young. They'd gotten on straight away because of their shared interests and helped each other out. They also knew each other's pain as Cooper's situation was similar to Skye's. Cooper was the eldest of six and had to take care of his younger siblings with his father. When Cooper was 7, his mother died giving birth to his younger brother. His father would receive income from occasional odd jobs and was never home for long periods. This meant Cooper was forced to become the leader of the household and had to take care of five young children. Cooper's family had no leisure and only spent on essentials. Despite these setbacks, Cooper was the smartest person in Pokémon Studies that Skye ever knew, "other than you." Cooper always reminded him. He obtained a scholarship when he started at Pokémon School which diminished some of the financial weight on his father's shoulders. Because of their intelligence, Cooper and Skye were raised a class level higher than their peers. But while Skye worked on battles and strategies, Cooper was the expert on Pokémon Health, Breeding and Anatomy. That why Skye had come to Cooper's earlier, to find out what gender his Eevee was.
Cooper turned around when he heard Skye walk into the room. "You're quite early." he said. Skye held out his Poké Ball. "Well, I got a surprise." he told Cooper. Cooper smiled with delight. "What is it?" Skye responded by opening the ball to reveal his new Eevee. Cooper let out a laugh. "It was always your favourite." he said as he tickled Eevee's ear. Eevee purred in joy. Skye waited patiently as Cooper played with Eevee and checked for signs indicating Eevee's gender. After some time, he looked up at Skye. "It's a boy," Cooper announced. "Are you going to nickname him?" "I don't think so," Skye replied as he returned Eevee into the ball. "Are you ready to leave Pallet Town and explore all of Kanto?" Cooper grinned. "Of course I am, you idiot." he replied. Skye waited patiently as Cooper finished packing his backpack and chose two Pokémon out of the six he had. Skye knew one of them would be a Spearow, Cooper's signature Pokémon, but he had no idea what the other one was. Spearow was the only Pokémon Cooper had properly trained, the others were just family pets and not used for battle. Skye went outside while Cooper said goodbye to his father.
On the path outside the house were many other children of all ages walking towards the Lab to attend school. They wouldn't leave today though. The legal age to gain a trainer's license was 11 but barely anyone in Pallet left at that age. The town was not very wealthy so children would stay at home to help their families and leave at 16 instead. Skye and Cooper were the first in many years to leave at 14. Cooper walked out of his house after a few minutes. "Are you ready?" Skye asked. Cooper nodded and they started walking away. "Hey, WAIT!" someone shouted. Both Skye and Cooper turned around and looked in the direction of the yelling. At the front of Cooper's house was a young girl with brown hair in a ponytail. "Hey Mills." greeted Skye. Mills ignored Skye and focused her brown eyes at Cooper. "You are leaving for who knows how long and all you say to me is bye!?" she snapped at Cooper. Cooper uttered a sigh. "Look, I know you want to come with me," he explained, "but I can't take you with me. The others need someone to help them while I am gone. Besides, it's dangerous out there." Cooper's speech didn't seem to convince Mills at all. "You and Skye could protect me, if I need it at all," she retorted. "Why won't you let me come with you?" Cooper hesitated. Skye wondered if he was considering bringing Mills along. After all, Cooper and Mills were close siblings. Cooper recovered after a few seconds and looked Mills dead on with his brown eyes. "I want you to be able to live a normal life and not stress about financial matters," he told her. "Every week, I'm sending half the money I earn back home so Dad can stay at home." Mills' face immediately softened. "Are you sure?" she asked calmly. "Yes," he replied. "It will help everyone." Mills responded by giving her older brother a farewell hug. "Bye Amelia." Cooper whispered. Mills waved them off as they finally began their trip to Professor Oak's Lab.
Walking up the road gave Skye a feeling of déjà vu. It felt like any normal day, just him and Cooper walking to school. After a while they had left the town centre and reached the outskirts of town. It was technically called Route 1 but it known as the Fields of Pallet to everyone. He felt a sense of relief as he walked through the route. The clouds had finally parted to reveal the blue sky and there was a soft breeze blowing. The green grass was rustling with Rattatas and Pidgeys were chirping. The sight was beautiful. The boys walked up a steep hill to arrive at their destination. When they got to the top, they saw the lab, a flat roofed two story building connected up to a giant windmill. Behind it lay a grove and sanctuary to all wild Pokémon to relax before they set out into the wild again. Trainer's Pokémon would also stay there if they were deposited into the PC. This was also where Pokémon School was held so Skye and Cooper were very familiar with the area. They walked into the lab where Professor Oak waited for them.
The professor was known all over Kanto and Johto as the smartest Pokémon researcher in the known world. He was also known for his battle prowess when he was younger. He was an idol to the world yet he decided to reside in his quiet home town to teach the young all about Pokémon. Everyone in town was grateful for his education. If not for him, the children would have no one to teach them. Professor Oak smiled when the boys came in. "Ahh, here are my favourite students," Oak exclaimed. "I'll miss teaching you two." "Thanks, Professor." Skye replied. Oak handed the boys some Poké Balls, a map of Indigo and their trainer licenses. "Now do you remember where all trainers aim to go?" Professor Oak asked. "We aim to enter into the Indigo Plateau competition." Cooper answered. "Exactly," said the Professor. "The competition is held once every year. Before the tournament begins, trainers have to collect at least 8 badges from Gyms that are located all over Kanto and Johto. When the challenge begins, trainers try to beat the Elite Four and the Champion. If they beat one Elite Four member, they are guaranteed a spot in the Elite Four. If they then defeat the Champion, they become the Champion of Indigo." Skye thought excitedly of the possibility of getting a spot on the Elite Four. He doubted he would ever be able to beat them but it would be amazing if he could. The Elite Four were treated with utmost respect and for good reason. They were the best fighters on the continent. The last time there was a change in the Elite Four was when Professor Oak's own son beat all the Elite Four but was defeated by the Champion. It was every Pokémon trainer's dream to become the Champion of Kanto and Johto.
"Now, it would be best if you headed towards Viridian and Pewter first," Professor Oak advised. "You could go to the Johto towns but it is difficult to cross the border early on. Also, the Viridian Gym is always closed so I suggest you stop at Viridian for a night before travelling to Pewter to challenge the Gym there." Skye and Cooper both nodded in response. "Professor, I'm curious to know how many wild Pokémon would be in the grove at this time." Skye questioned. Oak looked out the window, inspecting the Pokémon running around gleefully. "It seems there are no caught Pokémon in the area of Viridian City exit." The professor looked at the two teens eagerly. "You two have shown the most promise than anyone else I have taught," he told them. "Make sure you make me proud." "Of course we will professor." Skye laughed. "Then off you go." Oak said as he pushed them towards the entry to the grove. "It's finally happening," Skye thought. "Surely nothing can ruin my adventure."
