He is eleven when he begins to pave his future.
"I'm gonna be the strongest Trainer ever," he declares boldly upon morning, as they lie in the grass beside his grandfather's laboratory. "And you're gonna stay with me, right? We are teammates." He looks to her for reassurance.
"Of course," Leaf responds, arms stretched to pillow the back of her head. She rolls over to pat the crown of Growlithe's mane, smiling good-naturedly.
The breeze tousles her hair and the grass, and the light catches on her eyes. They remind Green of the sun. "Good," he laughs. "When I catch up, you better be ready for the best battle of your life."
He can hardly hear her over Growlithe's excited chatter.
"I'll be waiting," she says.