Days passed, but the little yellow Pokémon never left Nick's mind – nor did the big red one. Could someone really control a monster like that? He had heard of gangs using Pokémon for criminal activities. It was frightening to think that they could have something like that in their arsenal. He had developed something of a longing to befriend one, and he pondered this as he leaned at his bedroom window, looking into the white, clouded sky above the trees. It was an unusually cold day for July.

'Mom?' he asked at dinner that evening.

'Yes, Nick?' she replied.

'Grandpa used to keep Pokémon, didn't he?'

Surprised at her son's sudden interest in the creatures, she turned to face him in wonder. His father continued to gaze at the television at the other side of the room, paying little attention to his family's conversation.

'Erm… yes, he did. Why, Son?'

'Oh, no reason…' he mumbled, 'Just… what were they like?'

'Well,' began his mother, pulling the bowl of potatoes closer to her plate, 'Your grandfather was a Pokémon breeder. He used to take care of all sorts of Pokémon for people, and raised them until their owners could take them back again.'

'People use them for things, don't they?' said Nick, already knowing the answer.

'Yes. Some just keep them as pets, but there are also trainers who raise Pokémon to battle.'

'They make them hurt each other?'

'Oh no, it's not like that' laughed his mother, 'Battling helps the Pokémon grow, and to become closer to the trainer. It's not frowned upon. Pokémon are capable of amazing powers, they're not weak or vulnerable.'

An image of a bolt of lightning sprung into Nick's mind.

'Trainers keep Pokémon in devices called Pokéballs.' volunteered Mrs. Azalea.

'What about his own Pokémon?' asked Nick, his curiosity growing.

'He only had two of his own Pokémon,' his mother said through a mouthful of food, 'Pikachu and Squirtle. They were my friends growing up. There they are, in that picture.'

Nick turned to look at the wall his mother had pointed at. A photograph of his late grandfather hung there, slightly askew. On the bearded old man's left was a small Pokémon that resembled a mouse, with a lightning-bolt shaped tail. It reminded Nick of the Elekid he had met at the lake. On the other side of the picture was a turtle creature, but it was standing on its hind legs and had a curling tail. Both creatures looked happy. Between them lay some spherical objects, each with an opening around the centre.

'Why are you so interested in Pokémon all of a sudden, Nick?' asked his mother, interrupting his appreciation of the picture.

'It… It's nothing.' he finished, and turned his attention back to his near-empty plate.

'Seconds?'

The next morning, he had an idea in mind as soon as he woke up. He would go back to Lake Verity and see if he could find Elekid again. After that, he didn't know what he'd do. He just felt compelled to meet another Pokémon. He soon found himself walking excitedly down the path between the trees. It was warmer this morning than it had been the previous day, the sun trying its hardest to squeeze through the uncaring clouds. His heart beat a little faster as he thought what might happen. But he would be wary of going near the lake again and especially wary of disturbing the water. As the shore came into view, he saw a figure ahead, looking out over the area. He slowed his pace – finding he had actually been jogging without realising – and observed the person he was approaching. It was a white-haired man, old but not frail, not notably tall but strong-looking, wearing a pullover and underneath it a white shirt and red tie. A briefcase was lying open at his feet, and items were strewn across the inside. The man did not react around as Nick drew closer, but slowly turned as the boy exclaimed:

'Those are… Pokéballs!'

'Yes.' said the man, closing the briefcase and lifting it up.

'Are you a Pokémon trainer?'

'No.' said the man. There was a moment of silence that Nick found awkward before the man spoke again. 'Not anymore. I'm Professor Rowan. I study Pokémon.'

'I see.' smiled Nick, more interested than his tone suggested, 'I met a Pokémon here a few days ago.'

'What kind of Pokémon was it?' asked Rowan from beneath a large, thick moustache.

'I think its name was… Elekid?'

This revelation made the professor furrow his brow slightly.

'An Elekid? Here at Lake Verity? I doubt it.'

Nick excitedly described the creature he had seen.

'Yes, that does fit the description of an Elekid,' mumbled Rowan, stroking his chin, 'But they're not native to this area.'

Nick was getting frustrated that this old man didn't believe him.

'It's true!' he bellowed, 'I saw it, and it fought off a huge red thing!'

The mention of this second beast made Rowan's eyes widen.

'You saw a red Gyarados?'

'A tall snake thing with fangs, yes! It came out of the water and Elekid shocked it with electricity!' he exclaimed.

'Is this true?'

Rowan did not seem to be addressing this question to Nick, but was looking at the ground behind him. Nick turned round to be greeted by his high voltage friend.

'Elekid, it's you!' he gasped.

'Ele!' said the Pokémon, smiling. Nick crouched to the ground.

'How are you?'

'Elekid, Elekid, El!' laughed the Pokémon. Sparks crackled around its antennae as it did. The professor stood silently, observing the boy and the little monster.

'Hmmm…' he began, 'You and that Elekid seem to have a genuine connection.' he finished.

'Huh?' said Nick, looking up.

'Come to my lab in Sandgem Town later this afternoon. And bring the Pokémon with you.' ordered the old man. Nick was slightly taken aback, but agreed nonetheless. He had seen the impressive yet intimidating building while visiting friends in the next town over.

'I'll see you there.' said Rowan. With that, he briskly walked away and headed through the trees until he was out of sight. Nick turned back to Elekid.

'Would you like to come with me to his lab this afternoon?' he asked.

'El!' nodded the Pokémon.

They sat by the lake, enjoying the morning breeze, and taking care not to throw any stones across the surface.

The hours quickly passed, and the wind made its presence known as the pair followed the lush path towards Sandgem Town. They had got to know each other a little better; Nick had told Elekid about himself, and while Elekid couldn't say much more than its own name, Nick felt that he had gained a new friend and that a firm bond had been established between them. The unseen eyes of Pokémon that he'd always thought were looking at him from the trees were no longer a sinister thing – he was beginning to feel comfortable around and interested in the creatures, and Elekid would surely protect him from any harmful ones. It had been showing off its electrical powers earlier, and Nick was confident that no other Pokémon would try to mess with his charged-up companion. He saw small rodent-like ones dashing away as they passed, and the fluttering of flying-types up above.

For a town-connecting route, the area was very green and slightly overgrown; tall blades of grass brushed Nick's legs as he trod along the dusty ground. Eventually the trees began to widen and the coastal town where Rowan awaited them came into view. He subconsciously started walking at a quicker pace, a nervy excitement sparking in his chest and falling into his stomach. What did the professor want?

The wind had died down by the time they reached the front door of, for what was supposed to be a research laboratory, a moderately-sized, plain building. Regardless of this, the glass doors reflected a sense of trepidation into Nick, and he approached them cautiously. They opened automatically with a whirring noise, and he entered.

It seemed to consist of one large room, with diagrams and notes displayed over every wall – but only where there weren't shelves lined with countless, dust-covered books. The workers in their white lab coats paid no attention to him; he wondered if he should ask them what to do or ignore them too. This dilemma was soon defused by a throaty cough from the far side of the hall; Professor Rowan was beckoning him over. He hastily approached the professor.

'Uh… hello again.' he said, half-smiling.

'Thank you for coming.' was the reply.

They stood in silence for a few moments; Nick was not sure what to say or what to expect. Rowan spoke again.

'The reason I called you here is because I have a task which I need completed, and I think you might be the right person for it.'

'Oh, okay.' mumbled Nick. Did he want him to mop the floors?

'As you know, I study Pokémon as a profession,' the old man continued, 'And I continue to do so to this day.'

'Yeah?'

'And so,' he said through another cough, 'I still like to gather information from about Pokémon in the wild, and more so, their evolution.'

'Evolution?' asked Nick.

'Some Pokémon,' began Rowan, before Nick had even finished talking, 'Change into different forms as they grow stronger. For example, the common aquatic Pokémon known as Magikarp evolves into the much larger – and much more vicious – Gyarados – one of which you encountered at Lake Verity.'

'Oh, right.' nodded Nick, a lot more fascinated than he sounded.

'Anyway,' nodded Rowan, 'I need someone keen – someone young – to continue my work further afield. I am too busy running the laboratory to travel nowadays.'

Nick's heart began to beat a little faster.

'Would you be interested?'

'Yes!' said Nick, a little too quickly. Rowan left another gap of silence before replying.

'Splendid.'

The rest of the afternoon was spent discussing Pokémon. Rowan explained how there were many different types, from kinds who lived in the forest to kinds whose bodies were made of solid steel. He explained how they could grow through travelling and battling, and how there were official competitions and tournaments for trainers who liked to battle. He gave Nick an electronic device called a Pokédex that would automatically record information on all the Pokémon that he would encounter on the road, which he could then show Rowan to aid his research. He commented on the bond that had developed between Nick and Elekid, and that the electric creature would make a perfect starter Pokémon for the young trainer. He gave him a handful of Pokéballs for catching new friends, as well as keeping his current partner in. Nick hung on his every word.

He returned home that evening under a warm orange sky. Elekid had happily entered the ball and stayed there; he still had to explain to his parents about what the professor had asked of him, and leading a wild creature into the house wouldn't make the announcement any easier. He lifted a hand to the door handle and pushed his way inside; usually he would enter slowly with caution of what he may see or hear inside, but now it seemed as though those days had passed. The raised voices coming from the kitchen sounded like little more than background noise to him now as he approached them.

'Hello, Son.' mumbled his mother timidly.

'I'm going on a Pokémon journey.' was his answer.

'What?'

'Professor Rowan from Sandgem Town has asked me to go on a journey for him to help with his Pokémon research.'

'But… but Nick, you don't even like Pokémon!' exclaimed his father, 'And you can't just leave home at the drop of a hat! You don't even have any Pokémon!'

Nick answered by way of dropping the Pokéball on the floor. Elekid appeared in a flash of light. His parents did not look as taken aback as he had expected them to be – it was like something more important was at the front of their minds.

'Nick… why didn't you tell us before?' let out his mother, 'And how did you get to know the Professor?'

She said it in a tone of voice that suggested she was familiar with Rowan.

'I was only asked today. I met him at Lake Verity, along with this Pokémon.'

Elekid gave a smile and a spark.

'Its name is Elekid.'

'I know what it is!' snapped his mother quickly. She sighed and apologised moments later.

'Look,' continued Nick, 'I don't want to stay around here just now – you two fight too much and I hate being caught in the middle. Elekid is my friend, and I want to help the professor. You need the space, and I want some time away.'

'But Nick…' began his father, but Nick could see that he knew his son was right.

'Why don't we forget this all for now and have dinner?' offered his mother, 'We can talk more over food, and if you really want to travel with Pokémon, then you can. But as long as we make sure you know what you're doing.'

Nick nodded and agreed in a stern, determined manner. In a way, he was glad that she had owned Pokémon as a child, as she would understand the interest and ambition they can ignite in people. He left the kitchen and went to his room, as the voices grew slightly louder again, mixed with the sound of pots and pans being taken from cupboards.

He passed the time looking at Pokémon information on his computer as Elekid napped on his bed. He had browsed data on his grandfathers' partners Pikachu and Squirtle, as well as species local to Twinleaf Town that had been documented: Bidoof, a beaver creature that he thought looked a little goofy; Starly, a little bird that could attack by controlling the wind; Shinx, a cat which could give electric shocks; Wobbuffet, a weird blue creature which was rarer to see than the others. There was nothing about Elekid though – Rowan had been right, it was not native to his peaceful hometown. There were so many listings of known Pokémon from all over the world that he remembered only their pictures and not their names: a small mole that popped its head out of the ground; the ghost of a hot-air balloon; an insect with a huge mushroom covering its back; a human-looking thing with four arms; a black fox with an evil glint in its eye. There were even amazing Pokémon that no one had ever captured, such as a huge green dragon species that lived on the edge of space and majestic birds with the power of fire and ice. He read folk stories about monsters from other dimensions, sightings of which were only questionable rumours. He became so immersed in this incredible new world of Pokémon that it took him several minutes to notice that he was being called for dinner from downstairs. He reluctantly rose to his feet and left the room, as Elekid snored and its antennae crackled.