Chapter Three: First Step into the World

Touko pondered where to stop by first, she could either go to the lab or head over to Bianca's house and check up on her. "If I go to the lab, Cheren could be there and if Bianca isn't, he would probably blame me for her lateness." Touko laughed at the thought, shrugging her shoulders and heading towards Bianca's house down the street.

"Snivvvv." Shivy oohed and aahed at the new surroundings, captivated by the tall trees and wildlife.

"You've probably never been out of your Pokéball or the lab, huh?" Touko asked her Pokémon, lifting it off her head and holding on to it.

"Sniv." Snivy answered, nodding her head and continuing to look around.

"Well then you better be excited! We're going to go to so many places and meet a whole lot of Pokémon! Our team is going to grow and grow!" Touko smiled, holding onto Snivy with one arm as she swiped her hand in front of them dreamily. "And you're going to lead that team to victory." Touko smiled, looking down at Snivy who smiled and agreed happily.

"Snivy!"

...

The two continued walking for few more minutes before they reached Bianca's house, a small two-story house with the door cracked open a bit. "Here we are Snivy." Touko walked up the concrete steps, peeking inside the crack the door made.

"No! No! A thousand times no!"

Touko frowned as she recognized the voice of Bianca's uptight, over-protective father without even looking first. He had always been a downer even when Bianca was a little girl. He would never let her, Cheren, Bianca, and her other friend, Touya, go explore in the woods. They had done so anyway but it was still a bother when Bianca's dad yelled. Even Touko's mom and Bianca's mom couldn't get him to settle down, he was terrible like that. "Snivy, you better return." Touko returned the grass-snake Pokémon into her Pokéball and secured the Pokéball in her bag, turning her attention back to the house.

"But... But I'm a good trainer! I've even got a Pokémon and everything!" Bianca whimpered back and Touko could tell that her friend was on the verge of tears. Touko balled her fist up and bit her lip, frustrated that Bianca was being so skittish at the whole thing. "I can totally go on a journey dad!" Bianca rushed out of the house, knocking Touko off the side of the porch and tumbling into the bushes. "Oh! Touko! It's... it's fine. I'm okay. I'll be waiting for you in front of the lab."

"Bianca, I..." Touko sighed, watching as her shy friend scurried away without another word and headed towards the direction of the lab. "I'm sorry that your dad can't see the hidden potential within you." Touko finished, mumbling to herself as she stood up and straightened herself out. Touko then began a light jog towards the lab, two blocks away and on the edge of town. "Great, now I'm going to be the one who's late and feel Cheren's wrath!" Touko rolled her eyes and smirked to herself, her eyes locked on the building up a hill near the edge of town.

...

"Finally! What took you so long Touko! You're even later than Bianca! We've been waiting here for like hours!" Cheren lectured Touko some more but she ignored it, looking at Bianca and giving her a smile.

"I just got caught up Cheren." Touko answered, laughing at his frown and looking up at the large Pokémon lab. "Well, shall we head in?"

"Of course! The Professor wanted us to be here probably two hours ago! Now look at it! It's almost noon!" Cheren grunted, glancing at his watch before hurrying in the lab, Bianca tailing behind him. Touko just laughed and followed her friends in, looking at the many machines and standing in the middle of her friends in front of Professor Juniper.

"Well! I'm glad you guys could make it! I've been waiting for you young people!" Professor Juniper smiled, laughing as she called them young people. "Let me introduce myself. I'm Prof-"

"Professor Juniper? We know your name you know."

"Oh come now Cheren! This isn't the time to take things lightly! Today is a day you'll remember forever! It's best to behave with some formality!"

"Who said I wasn't being form-"

"As I was saying, I'm Professor Juniper and I'm researching the mysterious creatures we call, Pokémon." Professor Juniper continued with her speech, ignoring Cheren's pout. Touko held back a laugh when Professor Juniper told Cheren off, seeing as how she looked excited to be starting new trainers off on a journey. "I'm researching things such as how and when they came into existence." The Professor stopped, pacing around and looking at the three of them. "Could you show me your Pokémon? I'd like to take a look at them." The three nodded, calling their Pokémon from their Pokéballs and holding them in their arms. "Oh! How unusual! You've already had a Pokémon battle with them! Perhaps... perhaps that's why it appears your Pokémon already trust you so immensely! How wonderful! I knew that giving you Pokémon was a good idea!" Professor Juniper smiled, clapping her hands together and smiling, waiting as the three returned their Pokémon. "Now about why I gave you Pokémon."

...

"It's for the Pokédex, right?" Cheren spoke up again, obviously unable to hold his tongue for more than a couple minutes.

"Pokédex? What's that?" Bianca inquired, tilting her head to the side and looking at Cheren with confusion. Touko shrugged her shoulders, she knew what it was, sort of, but didn't want to be rude.

"Nice work Cheren! I'm impressed! You must have studied Pokémon extensively already, haven't you?" Professor Juniper looked delighted as she focused on Cheren.

"A little, not going to lie." Cheren crossed his arms, a smug smile across his face.

"Hmph, a little is an under exaggeration." Touko snorted, smirking as Cheren glowered at her.

"Anyway, let me start from the beginning, for everyone's sake of understanding." Professor Juniper nodded at Cheren and took a deep breath. "The Pokédex is a high-tech device that automatically records the Pokémon you encounter! That means it tells you many things about the Pokémon you have encountered. Such as different forms, gender differences, height and weight comparisons, descriptions, abilities, moves, and a lovely picture! I want you three to visit many places and meet all kinds of Pokémon there are in the world! That is my request!" Professor Juniper exaggerated her speech by throwing up her arms and wiggling her fingers. She turned to the three of them, beaming and clasping her hands together. "Cheren! Bianca! Touko! You'll go on an adventure to complete the Pokédex, will you not?"

"You bet Professor Juniper!" Touko smiled, raising her fist in front of her and nodding to her.

"Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! I'm so going to go on an adventure!" Bianca clasped her hands together as well, wiggling with giddiness.

"Naturally." Cheren waved his hand in the air and brushed a piece of his hair from his face.

"Perfect! All of you! You have given me the best possible answer!" Professor Juniper handed each of the friends a Pokédex. Cheren's was blue with a dark blue Pokéball on it, Bianca's was red with sparkles embedded into the covering, and Touko's was pink with a light pink outline of a Pokéball on it. "Alright, now I need to teach you how to meet and catch a Wild Pokémon. Meet me on Route One." Professor Juniper walked past the trio, heading out the door and turning towards the exit of town.

...

"S-since the Professor asked us, it's fine to go on a journey, right?" Bianca stammered out, obviously still thinking about her father. "I can maybe learn what I really want to do when I grow older."

"Bianca! Of course you can! Even without your father's permission you could've, this is your life and you decide what to do with it!" Touko hugged her blond friend, comforting her and smiling.

"It's only natural for trainers to go on journeys. Don't let your father stop you Bianca." Cheren placed a hand on Bianca's shoulder gently and nodded at her. "We can journey however we want as we complete the Pokédex." Cheren looked at the device in his hands and beamed at it. "Awesome. Pure awesome. I've always wanted one of these."

Touko smiled at her friends, each one caught up in their own thoughts. Heading outside, Touko breathed in the fresh air and stretched before noticing her mom standing right there. "Mom?"

"Touko! Wait up!" Bianca ran into Touko's back, almost falling down, had Cheren not caught her.

"What's the holdup?" Cheren grumbled, the two of them standing on either side of Touko. "Oh, hi Mrs. White." He waved, noticing Touko's mom in front of them.

"Hello dear, and hello to you Bianca. What did Professor Juniper need from you?"

"She gave us a Pokédex!" Bianca exclaimed, waving the sparkling device above her head.

"Oh how wonderful! She asked you to complete the Pokédex! I can't believe it." Mrs. White smiled before chuckling a bit. "Actually I can believe it, you're all very brave and trustworthy. Which is why I wanted to give you each one of these!" Touko's mom proceeded to hand Bianca, Cheren, and Touko each a Unova Region Map. The map came complete with towns, cities, landmarks, and even things to do in each town or city.

"Wow! Thanks Mrs. White!" Cheren smiled, shaking hands with the older brunette and tucking his map and Pokédex safely in his bag.

"Th-thanks so much!" Bianca stuttered out, hugging the town map and Pokédex.

"Now, about your room Touko. I can tidy it up, or what's left of it." Mrs. White laughed at the embarrassed faces of Cheren and Bianca, patting each of them nicely. "Amazing, huh! Some Pokémon are so small and cute yet they have the power to destroy a bedroom! With those Pokémon at your side, you won't have anything to worry about!" Touko's mom smiled, glancing at each of them before turning around. "Well, I better not keep you any longer! Have a great trip you three!" Mrs. White waved at them before disappearing around a bend.

"Your mom's great Touko, that was sweet of her." Cheren nodded, looking at the end of the road which began to ease into a dirt road to accompany the next route. "Anyway, the Prof' is probably wanting so we best not keep her waiting.

"Right!" Both Bianca and Touko agreed with Cheren at the same time, heading down the street towards the path to Route One.

...

"Alright guys! Let's take our first step into Route One! Together!" Bianca smiled, grabbing Cheren and Touko's hand as the three each stepped off the main road and onto the dirt road that indicated Route One. "Ooh! This is so exciting! Our journey starts here!"

...

"Hey! You three! Over here!" The trio looked over, noticing Professor Juniper waving at them from off the path.

"Let's go, I don't want to keep her waiting." Touko and Bianca nodded to Cheren, heading off the path as the grass slowly began to get thicker as they proceeded farther. "Sorry to keep you waiting Professor, you wanted to show us something?" Cheren spoke up as the they met the Professor.

"No problem, I wanted to show you how to catch a Pokémon! When you see a Pokémon, it's registered into your Pokédex, though when you catch a Pokémon, even more data is collected!" Professor Juniper explained before turning to face the open field of grass before them. "Sometimes Wild Pokémon will jump out at you when you are in thicker grass wanting to test their skills, such as this. If you want to encounter Wild Pokémon then you're going to have to be in this grass, Wild Pokémon usually won't jump out at you if you're on a path. Look there! A Patrat!" Professor Juniper pointed at the scout Pokémon, which each of the new trainers behind her quickly scanned into their Pokédex. "Alright! Minccino! Demonstration time!" Professor Juniper called out the chinchilla Pokémon which was also registered into the Pokédex.

"Pat?" Patrat looked up to see the Minccino, looking as if it was taunting it. "Patrat!" Patrat charged at the Pokémon, though Minccino was also quick to react.

"Minccino dodge and use pound!" The gray Pokémon jumped up, his furry paw pounding the Patrat's face into the dirt. "Pound once more!" Minccino brought its other paw up, punching the Patrat's face and sending it tumbling over the ground. "Now that the Pokémon is weakened, you throw a Pokéball at it." Professor Juniper explained, grabbing an empty Pokéball from her bag and chucking it at the dazed Patrat. Everyone held their breath as the Pokéball rolled three times before settling down and dinging, indicating that the Patrat had been caught. "That's how you do it!" Professor Juniper approached the Pokéball, picking it up and placing it in her pocket. "First you lower the enemy's strength and toss a Pokéball at it. Placing the Pokémon in a status condition, like paralysis or sleep, will also make your capture easier. Pokémon that are healthy and not very weak will be harder to catch." Professor Juniper finished her speech with a curt nod before handing each trainer ten Pokéballs. "I'll be waiting for you in Accumala Town to show you some more things! Take care and catch lots of Pokémon!" Professor Juniper bowed a little and then turned, heading down the route.

...

"Well, let's start heading that way then." Cheren stated, beginning to walk away before he was stopped by Bianca.

"Hold on! Hold on! I have a fun idea!"

"Bianca, please, this is serious and we have to get going." Cheren tapped his head and frowned at the bubbly girl.

"Oh, lighten up Cheren! Adventures are supposed to be fun! Why don't we see who can catch the most Pokémon? It'll help fill the Pokédex pages and help our teams grow!"

"You know Bianca, that's actually a pretty good idea." Cheren snuffed, clapping sarcastically, though Bianca still beamed proudly.

"Well then! It's happening! Let's meet at the entrance to Accumala Town in an hour and thirty minutes!" Touko smiled, telling her friends the plan. "It should only take about an hour to reach Accumala Town and then we have some time to catch and train our Pokémon as well." Everyone agreed to the idea and they each bumped fists before backing away from each other.

"Well, see you guys soon!" Bianca grinned and zoomed off into the trees, eager to catch a lot of Pokémon.

"Hmph, good luck to you Touko. I'm going to win though." Cheren winked at Touko before heading off himself.

"Hah! I'll see about that!" Touko laughed to herself, looking up at the sky and grinning. "This is it! My journey begins here!"

Author's Note

There you have it! Chapter number three! Not too much excitement yet, but I think I did a better job with the details. The next chapter should be a bit more interesting as I plan to introduce the sinister Team Plasma! :D And a certain mysterious stranger. ;)