Special thanks to my awesome Betareader MewMewExorcist: if this chapter is here is thanks to you. It would be great if you would like to show her your appreciation and/or have a look at her stories too: u/3246323/MewMewExorcist
Chapter 3: 27ᵗʰ February 1996
A door slammed shut, and books could be heard falling to the ground a moment after.
"Oh, look at this... Now I have to tidy this mess up..."
Once that inopportune moment was over, the ruby-colored-eyes young man knocked at the door.
"May I came in?"
"Oh! Yes, yes. I'm sorry I'm so... Are you a boy or a girl?"
Oak was crouched on the floor, back to the young man, with hands full of books that had fallen.
I don't think my voice is that ambiguous. And boy, girl...? I'm sixteen, thought the young man.
"If you deign to look at me, you could find out by yourself, professor."
"My, my...! What a day..." Oak said, sounding resigned.
He turned to look at him while still talking, trying his best to overlook the fact that he had been scolded by two youngsters on the inauguration.
"As you can see, there are two PokéBalls over there." The young man moved a couple of steps toward the pedestal in the center of the room. "Inside of those objects there are two of the rarest Pokémon: one is a Grass Type, and the other is..." Oak paused, and Red noticed the barest hint of a smile on the man's wizened face. "Err, boy, the one that just left is my grandson. Hm... What is his name again?"
What the... He doesn't even know his own grandson name? What's he getting at...
"Blue..." He forced the name past his lips with a faint grimace.
"Oh-ho! So you really do know him! What is your name again?"
I didn't tell you...
"Red," said the young man, moving in a circle around the PokéBalls.
"Oh! Suzaku's son, I knew it! One can't forget eyes of that color, I've looked at them for far too long." Oak said, sounding pleased at his recollection. Red looked puzzled. "I don't think you remember. We met... On a sad day." The professor's demeanor changed suddenly, becoming more melancholy.
Blue's parents funerals...? I was only nine... And this old man looked at me enough to remember my eyes? Creepy...
"Well! All the participants are getting six empty PokéBalls, but you understand you're going to get five, since the sixth one is that of the pokémon you're about to choose. Now you just have to wait the beginning of the ceremony in the garden outside." Now, the professor was back to looking pretty cheerful. "My grandson will be really happy to know that the second place winner is his best friend."
"Sir," interrupted Red. "What pokémon are in the PokéBalls?"
"Oh..." Said the professor. "They are bulbasaur, a rare Grass Type pokémon, and charmander, a rare Fire Type pokémon."
The two balls were identical, just like the one he saw earlier, but now that he could take a better look Red noticed two little curved LED displays just above the activation button of the device. Each one had a lettering, "BULBASAUR" and "CHARMANDER" respectively. The LED displays surely served to ensure that trainers didn't mistake one monster's PokéBall for another.
"A while ago," continued Oak, "Blue chose squirtle, a Water Type pokémon. You could take that bulbasaur, don't you think? Of course it will be at a disadvantage against Fire specimens like a charmander... But it would be to your advantage against your friend." The professor chuckled happily.
"Sir..." sighed Red, sounding bored. "He's not my friend." He didn't seemed upset or irritated by the subject, but he looked like he genuinely didn't care about. "Once, maybe." Red stated nonchalantly, while still peering at the two devices.
"Well... Maybe the two of you could journey together. So, if you manage to, you can give a lesson to that bitter grandson of mine." Oak said, with finality.
"If you want to give him a lesson, spank him already. Nice words like friends or companions are just extra weight."
"Oh... Boy, look..."
"I choose charmander." Interrupted Red.
"Boy, err... Red. Charmander are not easy to raise," Oak said, fatherly. "Don't you think...?"
"No, I don't."
The professor stopped for an instant; he really wasn't used to getting scolded by youngsters.
"Fine... That charmander is yours, then. Take this too." Oak placed a ticket in the young man's hands.
"The Poké Mart financed this event, and with this you can collect five PokéBalls from them. The closest branch is in Viridian City," he continued while Red was still looking at his coupon. "Furthermore…" The professor turned back to pick up a box and a magnetic card. "This is your Trainer Card, while in here…" The professor continued to speak while he took out a red device. "This is a PokéDex."
Red stared at the item. So this was the famous digital encyclopedia Elm had often talked about during class. It looked unassuming, but Red knew its usefulness.
"It's an invention of mine. It automatically registers all the data of the pokémon you catch, and it will even give you info during battles! But first you have to create data on your Trainer Card, it's really simple, look…" said Oak proudly. "You insert the Card in this slot…" Oak opened up the PokéDex, revealing a cardholder pocket for the Trainer Card.
The professor inserted the magnetic card and turned on a switch on the right side of the device that booted showing a lettering on the small display.
NAME: _
In a short period of time Red finished filling in all the necessary fields. A menu with seven words appeared.
"First of all check if all your data are correct under the menu item with your name. After that press here, on start, and… Save. Make sure to do this often, so you won't risk losing everything about battles and the new pokémon you will encounter."
Minutes passed by while the old professor explained the functioning of the Dex. The device was a gold mine of information. It even provided numerical data about the physical abilities of pokémon, based on the information acquired. Speed, defense, health: everything was constantly monitored. That device was a fundamental element, as well as bureaucratically necessary, for who wanted to start a professional career as a Trainer.
The young man put the Dex in his pocket while the old shaky Oak went to get his walking stick back. A few moments later, the professor put a sphere in Red's hand. He couldn't really understand the functioning, but inside that object, which was as small as a baseball, there was a charmander. Nevertheless it weighed less than an apple.
Confident of his regained authority, the aged mentor cleared his throat.
"Ahem… Red!" His tone was now deep and solemn, as if he was reading from a screenplay. "Your very own adventure is about to…"
"Got it, see you outside for the ceremony," Red said quickly, and he vanished.
"Unfold… Ahh, for heaven's sake." Oak was resigned at this point. "How about that, Red and Blue. What a curious pair." Oak chuckled to himself.
"May I came in?" It was the voice of a girl, coming from behind the entrance door.
"Sure, are you the third place?"
Once Red had closed the door behind his back, he found himself in a fenced-in yard, the so called garden where the ceremony would happen. It was huge. He looked around, searching for a familiar face. The whole area was a rectangle of about one thousand square feet. Three big tables with food filled the area to the left, while a little stage, set up for the occasion, was on the right. Even if the area left in the middle was still quite big, it seemed small because of the huge amount of people crowded over there.
There were almost two hundred participants that took the test and, in that courtyard, there were at least two or three relatives for each one of them. Most of the aspiring Trainers came from other cities, so the presence of their family members was comprehensible, even if some of them were only there out of sheer curiosity.
"Red!"
A very familiar voice called for him, and he turned to see his mother, Claire Field, walking to him.
Forty years old, dark hair, hazel eyes and… She seemed so curious that the young man started to fear a barrage of questioning. "So, how did it go?" She asked while letting loose all of her ex-researcher attitude.
"I won a charmander…" Red replied.
"Are you serious!? Oh, I knew you could do this! Now… Can I see the charmander?" Her eyes were sparkling.
"No mom, they told me to keep it in the PokéBall for…Now…" he lied, trying his best not to draw his mother's attention.
"Oh, I see…" she sighed. "But now you're officially a Trainer!"
"Yep" said Red, smiling.
"Now you'll became an overpaid celebrity with hundreds of suitors!"
"Mom… I've only received the license…"
"And a charmander! Trust me, you'll be a famous Gym Leader and… Oh! Actually, you'll be an Elite Four! Paparazzi will have to queue to shoot a picture of my handsome boy!" It seemed impossible for her to refrain her enthusiasm.
Annoying static screeching started to emanate from the stage as Professor Oak arrived holding a microphone.
"Everyone, good evening." He started. "Today is a very important day for those who took part in the test: they are now, officially, Pokémon Trainers." To those words, the relatives of the new Trainers broke out a thunderous applause. Those words were meant as an encouragement for the 'fresh blood' that was about to take off for a hard journey that would take them a long distance from their homeland. "To catch every Pokémon specimen." Oak was still talking. "To create an efficient team and became the best. These are every Trainer's goals. That we can briefly summarize in four words: to be a Master." Everyone was hanging off his words.
Oak's speech finished shortly after, only to make room for the participants from the fourth to the 180th place, whom went, one after another, on the stage to receive a PokéDex and a coupon for retrieve the Balls. The ceremony lasted less than an hour but since there was a fine banquet on the tables, the participants thought it was a good idea to stay until there was nothing left to eat.
Damn, it's night already… I have to wait until morning to leave, thought Red.
Oak's lab was on a hill, east of Pallet, so one could see the only three houses of the town from there.
The young man walked straight down the staircase on one side of the high ground, absently noting the cold weather. His mother had gone home earlier to get him a jacket, since he was just wearing a shirt and a jeans, but she wasn't back yet. Kanto had a spring like climate almost all year round, but during February, this kind of clothing was too light anyway.
Step by step, his mother words came to his mind.
A Gym Leader or an Elite Four, was it mom? I wish…
Pokémon Battles were the national sport in Kanto, and those were highly popular worldwide. Being actual sporting events, these battles between Monsters were held in dedicated stadiums and had a huge number of followers, as much as for Football or Soccer in other countries, and even sports betting.
On this island, kids didn't dream to reach glory as professional baseball or basketball players. On the Island of the Monsters every child wanted to be a prestigious Pokémon Trainer: surely more famous, acclaimed and better paid than any other sportsman on Earth.
Of course it wasn't enough to be just one of the many. Most people aspired for the newly introduced figure: the Gym Leaders. Eight famous salaried workers appointed to test, through Battles, the skills of those who wanted to compete in the Pokémon League. These thrilling Battles were held in specific stadiums called 'Gyms', with huge bleachers, and Battles were even broadcasted in TV shows.
The reason was quite simple: by defeating all eight Gyms, one could go to the Pokémon League, the mythical Indigo Plateau, and gain the right to challenge the Elite Four. Often seen as testimonials during commercials, the Elite Four were without a doubt among the most famous people on the planet, as well as the biggest obstacle for any Trainer. Reaching the Pokémon League, the only way to be crowned as Pokémon Master was to defeat them all, one after another, nonstop. With this prestigious title one was acknowledged as the strongest Trainer in the world, becoming idols, real celebrities, equal, if not superior, to the best soccer players who won the FIFA Ballon d'Or.
However to accomplish this was almost an impossible task: the Elite Four were the best Trainers in the world, hence why their salary was higher than NBA players.
Two years before, the title of their Leader was won by Lance Waterson. Dynamic, dignified, and handsome, the man had been guest in each TV show on global scale. Each time, a horde of his fans crowded out of the recording studios to obtain his signature. After all, thanks to his incredible skills, Lance was considered by the majority as the current Pokémon League Champion, the current Master. Officially he still wasn't but it was just a matter of time, everyone knew how much the star craved that title.
Mom, you've always put too much faith in me… Thought Red while walking through the little town's trail.
Finally he reached his house, rubbing his cold arms. Their mailbox always made him smile, each letter of his surname engraved with a bad and trembling calligraphy. Suzaku. His father had never been good with eastern character. With a last glance at his mailbox, Red went into his house.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"
"M… Mom!"
"Today is your day! You won't be given another chance to party for your sixteen years, don't you think? And today you're even a full-fledged Trainer!" cheered his mother, she was extremely happy.
Red was petrified, but like how air slowly leaks out of a balloon, despite how tightly it's knotted, he felt the tension from the day's events dissipate from his body. Today had been a long day.
"…" Red hesitated, then smiled. "Fine… But where's the cake?"
27th February 1996. The beginning of an adventure called Pokémon.
Question Of The Week
And so they picked their starters, but... Why no Bulbasaur? Still no love for that poor creature...
If it was you to have passed that test, and have the right to choose your own starter pokémon, which one would you pick?
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