''Pokèmon are our friends and food, they can be both ally and enemy, both weapon and shield .. but what are we humans to them ?''
Marcus Oak, Pokèmon philosopher and poet. (December 5th, 2430)
Chapter One:
Leaving the nest.
Jubilife City, July 16th 2534
"Another dead trainer was found near Sunnyshore City today, authorities suspect another rogue Gyarados attack but officials refuse to prove those theories.
The victim was identified as the 15 year old Johan Davids a recently started trainer from Pastoria City who came to Sunnyshore to visit family.
Both the gym leaders and Elite Four refused to comment on the tragic death, we offer our condolences to the family of Johan, may he rest in peace.''
The reporter was silent for a while before the "And now the ...'' the sentence wasn't finished as my mom grabbed the remote and pressed the stand-by button angrily.
"So young,'' my mom sighed "Jacob can you believe it ? Another child died today Jacob and you .. you want to become a trainer even after that ?'' It was routine now, after a while my mom's round face would gradually get red and she would once more yell at me for becoming a trainer and not being old enough,being 14 is already old for trainer, or not being smart enough, last year she actually told me I wasn't tall enough after wich I threw a, my little sister stil calls it 'Jacob's Girly Temper Fit™', and called my mom a 'Nasty old hag' which resulted in me being grounded for 3 weeks and being banned from my computer.
But in the end I won because tomorrow I would leave for my very own journey.
My mom, my little sister and I lived in a small two bedroom apartment in Jubilife City while my dad was busy doing his work (he works at a ship that carries goods from Sinnoh to almost every big city near water) we aren't rich but we pay our bills and buy our food unlike other inhabitants here in Jubilife.
We are the biggest city in Sinnoh and by far the most modern one but we also have the highest crime-rate and people often look down on others from Jubilife thanks to some idiots that think everyone in Jubiife is either a thief or a murderer.
In our house I share a room with my little sister Lisa and after a short fight wich colour our room should be painter ''Blue and grey!'' ''No pink and yellow!'' we have a nice grey and yellow striped room and rarely fight anymore.
My mom, a 46 year old and rather plump woman, works part-time in a small shop near the TV station, is probably one of the most protective mothers in the world and reminds me of a slightly fat mother hen that keeps her chicks in the nest all the time and will throw a fit if said chicks want to leave.
My dad is more a laid back kind of guy, at 49 years old he does what he wants and comes back every few weeks for a couple of days and then leaves again, of course this goes directly against our mom's wishes causing it to be the topic of many arguments between the two which my dad usually wins.
When I was young I always fantasized about my starter because maybe maybe I would win one of the three starter pokèmon that every region has and gives away every year, many years ago they were given to every idiot that wanted to start a journey and somehow people still managed to be surprised when a charred, choked or drowned body turned out to be one of those young trainers. In the end they forbade the freely handing out of those starters and only made them available for those with lots of money or lucky enough to win one of them.
'Pokèmon are dangerous and can hurt you or even kill you.'
The first sentence you will be told when going to the pokèmon school here, it's to inform us of the harsh reality out there because there are too much people that are ignorant to reality and think of pokèmon as either weapons or some dress-up doll made for cuddling and giving idiot pet names, try imagining a Dragonite wearing a pink dress with matching hat being called 'Prince Cuddly-Wuddly the fifth.
I was like that once, thinking that pokèmon were like my 'the Ampharos team' figurines that could be replaced once broken and could be put away for months and won't utter a word of complaint.
When I was 10 I started thinking more like I do now, I fancy myself a down-to-earth kind of guy so I started making the first few steps for my 'real' journey and gave up asking for a Charizard or Steelix as a starter...
I , and the other 97% of the Sinnoh male population that's not on a journey yet, wanted a fire type, a Growlithe to be precise and started saving a small part of my money for one.
Until my mom told me I was forbidden from buying one and she and my dad (she just added the 'dad' part to fool me) would think of a suitable starter for me, Joy.
So here I am sitting on the old couch in the living room listening to my mom going on and on about the dangers of training and that I could just stay home, you get the picture.
''I'm leaving,'' I said. ''Where are you going young man ?'' my mom countered.
"Josh's place and after that probably outside'' I gave her an annoyed look.
"Fine, be home at 5.'' She sighed.
I grabbed my coat and walked the stairs until I found myself in the busy streets of Jubilife and started walking north.
After several minutes I stopped in front of a small shop squished between two high apartment buildings with a sign that read 'Windersonn and Fletcher Electronics' after stepping inside and ignoring the few customers I made my way to the Employees Only room where I found my near lifelong friend Josh Fletcher.
We met while in kindergarten and got along well enough to become friends and tomorrow he would leave on his journey as well, it was actually one of my mom requests that I would travel with Josh for atleast a week and if I'm still alive after that I was free to continue my journey alone as long as I called every two days to prove my existence.
''Shrimp!'' Josh called from the other side of the small dark room as he made his way to me.
I simply glared as he started ruffling my hair "Show some respect for your elders Shrimp or you'll never grow,'' Josh said in a cheery way.
I wasn't tall but my 5 foot 5 inches made me a lot smaller than Josh his 6 foot tall frame.
We do have nearly the same colour hair, Me having dark brown curls and grey eyes, Josh having long hair tied into a small ponytail wich is a shade lighter than mine and he has startling green eyes.
"Jacob,'' he began, sounding serious ''Do you have any idea what pokèmon you'll get ?''
"No my parents won't tell me, yours ?''
He looked like a kicked puppy when he answered "They won't tell me at all! no hint, nothing !''
I patted his shoulder "Come let's get out of here."
"You said it Shrimp, Let's go !'' he grabbed my arm and dragged me back trough the shop were the regular customers already learned to ignore us and the newer ones just looked with raised eyebrows, people in Jubilife learn to tolerate weird behaviour easily.
We slowly made our way trough the streets and occasionally waved at old friends and some former classmates when we saw a small group of people standing around a tall gangly blond boy we recognised as Martin Garrets, an old classmate that left on his journey today and was obviously showing his starter to his friends.
"Hey Martin, Over here !" Josh yelled while running towards him, I sighed before following him across the street where Martin and his friends were staring at the pokèbal in his hands.
"Martin," I nodded in acknowledgement, we never became friends, while Josh immediately asked " So what pokèmon did you get ? come on tell us already."
"Well ..." he drawled before blurting out "I got a Starly !" he looked so happy he was positively radiating happiness.
I whistled appreciatively "If that one evolves in a Staraptor you're one lucky guy, congratulations Martin"
"Yeah" Josh said while giving him a good natured pat on the back "Go beat those guys out there Martin, We'll see you out there once kay ?"
Martin nodded before smiling again "I'll beat you all one day, I promise you that"
I smiled and congratulated him once more before Josh and I left again.
"I heard your dad's coming too you know, tomorrow so he can see you off or something.'' Josh asked while staring at the sky.
"Yeah .. he promised to 'make sure I leave on time' or something like that,"
"Cool"
We were both silent for a while and when I checked my watch it was already 16:45 so I said goodbye and left.
After coming home my mom and I had another argument before I huffed and went to my room until dinner.
Dinner was silent, Lisa and I did the dishes and watched TV for a while before going to bed, my mom was silent the whole evening except for the traditional "Goodnight" when I said I'd go to bed.
I didn't sleep that night as I kept tossing and turning after which I decided to just read a book, I sneaked out of the room ,so I won't wake Lisa, and went into the living room and grabbed one of the books we stacked in the bookcase.
It was about Ash Ketchum the youngest champion Kanto has ever known and world famous for his fight against Team Rocket and marrying the Cerulean City gym leader Misty.
After an hour or so I grew tired and put the book back where I found it, I sneaked back in my room and fell asleep.
Much to soon I woke up thanks to the sound of the television from the living room.
I yawned and stretched before dressing and making myself breakfast while muttering a "G'morning" to Lisa who was watching her favorite show 'Igglybuff's Breakfast show On Ice'
After eating breakfast and doing my daily routines I went back in my room to check my bag.
It held my sleepingbag, 2 changes of clothes, matches,two towels, a flashlight, a few potions and antidotes, bug repellent (Don't want those nasty bugs eat me while sleeping*shudder*)
3 pokèballs, a town map and some bottles of water and canned food and of course a pot and 3 rolls of toilet paper.
In the middle of rechecking my bag I heard the door open and close and I dashed outside to see my dad.
"Well well Jacob are you really that happy to see your old man again or do you just want to see your very first pokèmon?" dads low voice asked me while ruffling my hair, for some reason Josh reminds me too much of my dad sometimes.
Mom stood next to dad, she went to get him from Canalavetown and looked rather pale with red puffy looking eyes.
"Jacob please .. please don't go ... just stay, Yes stay here Jacob please I don't want to become one of those mothers that see the face of their child on television because he or she died Jacob, can't you stay ?'' She asked, her voice desperate and hoarse.
It broke my heart to see her like this "I'm so sorry mom I really am but I want to go and I'll promise you I won't end up dead in a ditch''
The end of my sentence was muffled as my mom enveloped me in a bone-crushing hug.
"Mom" I groaned.
She sniffed again before standing up and wiping her eyes "Crying will do me no good now, or would it?"
Dad just laughed before tossing me a pokèball and a pair of ugly green gloves "Handle with care" he said while having an evil grin plastered on his face.
I was about to open the pokèball and summon whatever was in there as a loud crash was heard followed by rough knocks on the door.
I cautiously opened it to be greeted by Josh in his traveling suit and backpack strapped on his bag jumping up and down while holding a rather weary looking Lotad in his arms and his currently gasping for air parents behind him.
"Goodmorning mister and miss Jacob's parents'' followed by a "GOODMORNING LISA" and a "Jacob Jacob ! tell me what pokèmon have you got ? tell me ~ !"
God, was he on a sugar rush or something ? and this guy was supposed to keep me safe for at least one week no way in-"Well Jacob come on show us already!"
I once more picked up the pokèball before dad cut me off, "Gloves on Jacob, believe me"
As I quickly put on the green gloves, available in the garden store in your neighbourhood, I threw the red and white sphere up a red light shot down to the ground before fading away.
And there, in all its purple glory , stood a male Nidoran.
A male Nidoran.
A Nidoran.
A Nidoran.
Gone were my dreams of a fire pokèmon, Goodbye silent hope that I would still get a Growlithe, Goodbye Arcanine, Charmander or even Numel.
"I know it's not a fire type as you wante-" "I can see that" "-But it's a fine pokèmon but keep wearing those gloves for a while or you'll get poisoned thanks to it's horns, they're pretty sharp"
An uncomfortable silence soon followed before Josh happily asked,
"So when do we leave ?"
I sighed and looked down on the Nidoran "So Josh, did you name your Lotad?""
He grinned and nodded "Yeah I called her-" "Her ?" "Yes her, anyway I called her Lola"
"That's ... nice ?" I said.
"Yeah 'cause she looks like a Lola to me, doesn't she ?"
"Sure, I'll call mine errm .. Nathaniel or Nate for short" my parents shared a look before shrugging and Josh still looked like nothing would keep him from smiling.
After returning both pokèmon back to their respective pokèballs both mine and Josh his parents went inside to talk about us going on our journey.
As I rechecked my bag again I put on my coat and put the gloves in my pocket along with my cellphone.
Josh once more picked up his backpack and I did the same and we both smiled.
As we walked into the living room my dad called me to him "Jacob you are a smart kid and so is Josh but I still want to give you this" He handed me a pocketknife "Just press the button, it's quite durable and all so .. "
"Thanks dad" "You're welcome son"
The seven of us, as Lisa decided to grace us with her presence ('Igglybuff's Breakfast show On Ice' had finished)We had to go to the pokèmon food store (next to the market) to get information on what our pokèmon ate (mine apparantly eats bothmeat and plants and dry food as well) and bought some containers with food before went to the famous red-roofed building known as the Pokemon Center to most, some still call it 'The place where the nice pink-haired lady always heals your pokèmon' to get our trainer IDs done because if you're found without one you'll get fined and they help in recognizing you if you die or something like that.
Really neat those IDs.
"Josh Fletcher, Age 14, Date of Birth January 21st 2520, Badges: 0,Pokèmon registered: Female Lotad, 'Lola' Blood type: O negative, Height: 6 foot, Is this information correct ?'' the nurse Joy asked Josh.
"Yeah it's fine thanks !" he mumbled while grabbing the ID out of her hands.
"Then we have Jacob Danes, Age 14, Date of Birth April 4th 2520, Badges: 0, Pokèmon registered: Male Nidoran, 'Nathaniel' Blood type: AB negative, Height: 5 foot 5 inches, Is this correct as well ?''
"Yes, Thank you" I said while grabbing my ID and shoving it in my pocket.
"Please notify one of the Nurse Joys once a change is necessary, like when catching a pokèmon" she said happily.
"They will, Thanks again" my dad said before pushing us outside towards the rest of our little group.
My mom once more hugged me while crying and once more asked me to stay, my dad just ruffled my hair and told me to watch myself.
Some old friends came to wish us luck and congratulated us on our pokèmon, no matter how lame I still thought mine was, and then we realized something because now we were leaving.
For real.
A/N
Disclaimer: I don't and never will own Pokèmon.
First of all, Thank you for taking the time to read this very first chapter of my very first story *Gives you a cookie*
I'd love it if you would leave a review and help me improve my writing and grammar.
I'm not English, I'm Dutch so I probably use the wrong words, a comma where there shouldn't be one and things like that (I did use the nice spellchecker button of course!)
Saying ''This sucks" is allowed just tell my why it sucked so I can once more improve my writing ;)
I also rated it T just to be sure.
Second of all, A huge thanks to my brother for helping me get the worst mistakes out of my story and providing me with critique, You rock!
I would like to thank EmeraldCelebi13 for her Error Message Assistance 'story' she published that made me capable of publishing this chapter, Thank you !
That's it for now, Thank you once more for taking the time to read my story.
Shynah.