The next day, Liz, Peter and Jake set off for Olivine. He'd managed to convince his mother to let him become a trainer. Peter had offered to give him some of his pokeballs, in which he could keep the three Eevees and catch some more pokemon. If he wanted to, that is. For the moment, Jake was happy with just Chestnut, Lemon and Silvio. He was worried that Silvio would not want to come with him, or that he wouldn't get in the ball. He had little doubt about Chestnut and Lemon. He'd actually told them about the journey he was planning to take. They seemed to understand him, and Chestnut and Lemon appeared excited. Silvio was quieter, and while not reluctant, was less than enthused by the idea.

They were going to get the pokemon registered before he officially captured them. There was some procedure for capturing rare species which would be by-passed if they were registered first. They were also going to try to get Jake registered as a trainer. Usually, this took weeks, or even months, if you were unlucky, but Peter said he could probably get it down to a few days, or a week at most. His previous job as a Gym Leader, even though it was in a different region, made him an honorary member of the Pokemon League.

The registration of the Eevees only took fifteen minutes once they arrived at the Pokemon Centre in Olivine City. They took DNA samples and photos, and asked Jake to fill out some forms, which included their name, colour and the area that they were found in. Next, they inquired about trainer registration. The nurse pointed them out to a corner where there was a desk and a pile of forms. Jake took one and filled it in. He was also instructed to have his photo taken at a photo booth which was standing next to him. He handed the form and the photo to the nurse, who filed them away, and payed the small registration fee. Jake wasn't very satisfied. He'd expected some kind of urgency in dealing with the application. He was informed that if the application was approved, he would be sent a letter informing him that this was the case, and he would come back to the Pokemon Centre to pick up his Pokedex and a small kit of supplies essential for serious trainers. While it was legally possible for someone to train pokemon for battling without official recognition, few did that because they did not receive a pokedex, nor did they get some special privileges that only official trainers received. So Jake was happy to wait for his application to be approved, if a little impatient.

True to Peter's word, Jake received his letter only five days after he applied. It was the most excited he'd ever been.

"Mum, I've got it! I've got the letter!"

"OK, OK, so I guess you want to go into Olivine immediately," said Liz, exasperated and a little sad, but happy for her son.

"Yeah, they said all my stuff's there, waiting for me," said Jake, the excitement on his face clear. The last five days had just served to increase his desire to get outside and explore the world with his pokemon. He knew he couldn't go immediately, because Peter had promised to show him how to use some of his gear when they got back. But just getting the gear was enough for the moment.

He grabbed the pokeballs which he'd used to catch his pokemon, and rounded them up. He raced in the car, and waited while his mother got ready to go.

When they arrived at Olivine, Jake dashed inside, only just stopping to let the sliding doors open, before making a beeline for the front desk. He felt like a little kid again.

"Hi, I'm Jake Baker," he said breathlessly. "I just got a letter to become a trainer."

"Ah, yes Mr Baker. Your gear is right here."

The nurse reached under the desk and pulled out a black plastic box with the Pokemon League logo on the front. She handed it to Jake.

"That has all you need: A Pokedex, some potions and other medicine, a magnetic pokeball belt, a tent and cooking gear, and your own personal ID card. You can program your Pokedex to display all that information, in case you lose it. If you lose both, you have to apply for a new one. Also, for a limited time, you receive a free TM."

"Which one?"

"It's random. You get one of the fifty of Johto. Hope you get one you like," the nurse said, sounding as if she couldn't really care less.

She turned to the next person. Jake turned and left in a daze. He couldn't believe was an officially recognised trainer. He released his pokemon and showed them the gear. Once again, Silvio was far less enthusiastic than the other two, but he did seem interested in the TM.

"Careful, Silvio," Jake said, noticing Silvio nudging the box. "I don't know how that works. You could end up with a move you don't want."

He returned Chestnut and Silvio, as he and Lemon got into the car. Chestnut and Silvio both got sick in the car, but Lemon seemed to enjoy it. She liked sticking her head out the window and feeling the wind on her face, so he left her out. All three of them seemed to enjoy spending time outside their pokeballs, but Silvio seemed to particularly dislike his pokeball. The only time Jake kept him in his pokeball was when they were in the car. Silvio more or less obeyed Jake, at least as far as following him went. Jake was unsure how easy he would be to battle with. Although, Jake thought, he was surprisingly willing to be captured. Jake had simply opened the ball and tapped it against him, like Peter had shown him. He didn't try to resist any more than his siblings. Maybe he would be easier to train than he seemed.

Jake insisted that they go straight to the Grey's without stopping at home. Liz called them and asked if that would be alright. Peter didn't mind, and seemed almost as excited as Jake. Jake was really looking forward to seeing how all these gadgets worked, and the best ways to use them.

They arrived at the Grey's and rang the doorbell. Marie opened the door and ushered them inside. She offered them some lunch while they waited for Peter, who was just digging up some of his old gear to show Jake. They discussed when he'd leave, and where he would go. Jake and Liz had agreed that there was little point waiting. Jake would take a few days to prepare, and then set off from Olivine.

"Ah, so you're here, Jake," said Peter, as he came down the stairs. "Excited?"

"You bet, Mr Grey," replied Jake, clearly telling the truth.

"Please, Jake, I don't know how many times I've told you to call me Peter," Peter exclaimed. "He's too polite, this boy. The other day Rod was telling me how he'd asked for a lift when he ran into him with the injured Eevee. He couldn't believe it. He was prepared to walk all that way with those Eevees so long as he didn't trouble Rod."

This drew laughs from everyone, and a blush from Jake.

"Anyway," continued Peter, "Let's see what the League gives new trainers these days."

Jake pulled out the black box he'd received at the Pokemon Centre, and opened it again. Peter was impressed when he saw the TM Jake had received.

"That's a good idea," he said. "It can be tough for trainers starting out with pokemon that don't know many moves."

He examined the packaging, and discovered it was TM 30, Shadow Ball. He'd said that it was a good one, and he was lucky, but don't try using it against a Normal type. He went on to explain the different types and which moves were effective against them.

"If you're ever unsure about a pokemon's type, check it in the Pokedex. There's an official database of types and classifications which can be accessed through it. Speaking of which, can I see your Pokedex?"

Jake found it and handed it over.

"I've never seen one of these before," said Peter with surprise. "It must be a new model. You're lucky, you know. When I first started out, all they had was a book. Here, I'll set it up for you."

Jake watched as Peter inserted the card into a slot in the side of the Pokedex. He hit a few buttons and it beeped softly.

"OK, now it has all your trainer information. But try not to lose the card, if you can help it."

Apparently, the kit was pretty comprehensive. Peter was going to show Jake his Pokenav, but the new model Pokedex already incorporated the technology. Peter still showed him how to use it, however, showing him the map and the GPS system. He'd stressed the importance of knowing exactly where you were at all times, so as to not get lost. Peter was impressed to see that the kits now came with a tent and mess kit, though he advised Jake to invest in a better quality tent when he had the chance. He also showed him how to use the magnetic belt. When the pokeball was pressed against one of the six indents, it activated the magnet, keeping the pokeball in place. He also told him to mark his pokeballs, so he knew which pokemon was which. He went on to explain the use of potions, and how you could buy more potent versions, as well as specialised medicines for poisoning, paralysis, burns, etc.

Finally, he asked, "So who are you planning to use the TM on?"

Jake thought about it for a few seconds.

"I don't know. Wouldn't it kinda seem like favouritism if I chose one over the other two?"

"I can see what you mean," said Peter, thinking. "I tell you what. I'll give you two more TMs, so you can use one on each."

"Are you serious?" asked Jake, stunned, once again, by his generosity. TMs could be expensive.

"Of course," said Peter with a smile. "I have a stash left over from my Gym Leader days, and I get them for wholesale prices from the League. It's no problem, honestly."

"Well, yeah, thanks. Though you're going to have to show me how to use them."

"Of course. I'll go and grab some and you can choose two that you like. Or three if you want, if you don't like Shadow Ball."

Peter went back upstairs. By this time, Liz and Marie had gone outside to leave the boys to it, so Jake sat in silence, still not quite believing he was now a trainer. Receiving his gear had done nothing to quench his excitement. In fact, it had done the exact opposite, leaving him dying to go and try it out. Peter returned, his arms full of the small packages in which TMs were held. He went on to explain which moves were taught by which TM. He had TMs from Kanto and Hoenn, as well as Johto, and there were two that caught Jake's eye. These were TM08, from Kanto, which was Body Slam, and TM 28, which was Dig. Peter told him to take the Hoenn version, which was updated to work on a greater variety of pokemon, Eevee included.

Peter then explained how to use them. Jake wasn't sure which TM to use on which pokemon, so Peter used one on his own Vigoroth. He inserted a disc into the device which came with it, and aligned it with the right eye of his Vigoroth. He activated it, and Jake watched as light pulses were shone into the pokemon's eye. After about ten seconds, the process ended.

"Vigoroth now knows how to use Earthquake," Peter explained. "It's a pretty simple process. The information for the move is encoded into pulses of light, which are interpreted by the pokemon's brain. He'll need to practise the move before it's as effective as it could be, though," he said as he patted the Vigoroth fondly.

"Oh, and I almost forgot. If you want to catch a water type, you may need a rod. I've got plenty, so you can have one of mine. You might choose to evolve one of your Eevee into a Vaporeon with a Water Stone, but it'll be good to have one anyway."

Once again, Jake thanked Peter profusely for his generosity, and once again, Peter would have none of it.

Jake spent the rest of the day with Simon and Chris. Even they couldn't annoy him today. He didn't even notice the taunts from Chris when the younger boy beat him at whatever videogame they were playing. He was thinking ahead, to when he would finally set off on his journey.