Chapter 2: Choices
I got up and my dear Susie greeted me. Our Houndour is a very charming Pokémon; but she often gets into fights with Pidove and Pidgey. It is also a very strange Pokémon, constantly growling at something in the dark. My mom thinks she's crazy, I think she is trying to protect us from something.
It's Saturday, a very beautiful Saturday. Soon I have to go to São José dos Campos. The local lab is there. Professor Helen Kokutan is the Regional Professor, a very nice woman that has recently graduated. She once gave us a lecture about her specialty, the different Pokémon types and how they interact. Currently, she is trying to gain the post of Regional Professor at Termallia.
I go directly to the kitchen where I find my lovely sister, Lilian. Her Swanna is perched on the window gazing into the morning sky.
"Good morning, Henrique. Mama told me the news. Are they true?"
"Of course they are." Lilian was a really good trainer, one of the best I've ever met. That was a very old Swanna; she took care of it since it was an egg. Mother told me that from the Egg hatched a mysterious Pokémon named Eggby* came from it. Father said this Pokémon was from the Metropolis. "What Pokémon do you recommend as my first one?"
"Well, that's a hard choice." She will probably say for me to choose the Water-type, Squirtle. All of my siblings had different opinions on which Pokémon I should choose. My older brother would suggest that I should choose a Grass-type, Snivy, since he himself chose one as his starter. Gustavo would say for me to choose the Fire-type, Chimchar, he had something for heat and fire; I say he is a pyromaniac. "You're probably thinking I'm going to say 'choose the Water-type', don't you?"
"You've read my mind."
"Listen, I'm not going to interfere with your decisions. There will come a moment where these decisions will chance your life or the lives of those you love. So you know what this means."
"Yeah, I'm screwed." But she was right: there will come a time where I will have to make my own decisions and it will be very soon. As a Pokémon Master, I'll have to create my own strategies. But, sincerely, I would be thankful if she was a little more polite with her answer.
I walk towards the window to pet Swanna, she is gazing to somewhere at the garden. The kitchen is on the second floor, its window gives us an amazing view, but right now I'm interested on Swanna's gaze. She's looking at Susie, no, wait, she's looking at something Susie is looking at. Susie is barking to something nonexistent, like always, but now why it is different. Maybe because the neighbor's Bombat* is hissing towards the same "thing". Or maybe because Swanna is afraid of this too. Or maybe because I'm seeing something too. There is some sort of ripple midair.
What the hell is this? And why is Susie using Flamethrower against it? I don't have too much time to think, mother is calling me.
"Why is Susie barking?" Lilian sees this time it's different.
"Because, she's crazy, sweetie. Hey! Don't burn my poppies!" Mother, however, stays oblivious. "Henrique, darling, dress up something light. I've already packed you baggage. We're leaving in half hour." My baggage is a simple camping backpack, everything is delicately folded, mama's way.
I put on my khaki shorts and a lightweight t-shirt with a cap on it. The dark blue sneakers were the finishing touch. If I'm becoming a legend, that's how people will recognize me. My mother is at the living room, Gustavo is taking his test.
"Did I say how proud I am of you, Henrique?"
"You already said it, mom." She accompanied me through my entire journey, I'm glad she had such high expectative.
"Oh, I'm forgetting something." She went to her bedroom and five minutes later she brought a small box. "You deserve this."
I was speechless: I just received the new UPhone 5 by the "money-making" Berry Corporation. What could I say? I said nothing, I just hugged my mother. I love you, mom.
"Good luck, Henrique." Strangely, Lilian hugs me tightly.
We picked up a bus to the lab. In the meantime we discussed, if I should or shouldn't nickname my Pokémon.
"If I'm nicknaming my Pokémon, it will be either, Franz Ferdinand or Marie Antoinette." Mother shut her mouth after this one, but of course I was kidding. We got off the bus and walked a little until we got to the lab. It was a magnificent building that smelled sciences and progress.
The place was full of scientists, teachers and Trainers: I only recognized a few of them. Mother and I walked a little until I heard a familiar voice.
"Henrique, it's strange to see you without the school uniform." I could say the same. Julia was so beautiful; she was wearing a knee-length jeans skirt a pink t-shirt with a rose print and her simple blue jacket. Her golden hair was beautifully arranged in a ponytail.
"Allow me to say the same. I didn't know you had a fashion sense."
"You're stupid. It's nice to see you, Mrs. Bernardoni." Mama liked Julia, and that was good. "I found Luana and Rafael, they are discussing, as always."
"Love is beautiful." My mother was a very lovable woman, but you wouldn't mess with her family.
"It is wonderful if there's no Rafael or Luana, mom. Mom, I'm going to see what those twits are discussing about."
Like always the twits were discussing which type was better. Luana was wearing jeans and a white shirts; Rafael was wearing a green shirt and flowered-pattern shorts.
"Water is better because water sets fire away." Luana wasn't very lovable at the moment.
"Under the right conditions, darling. Fire can actually set away water most times. Fire is a destructive force capable of destroying anything on its path." At least Rafael was keeping his posture.
"A destructive force that gets away with a single blow."
"Not everything is perfect, my dear. Now listen…"
"No, you listen..."
"Have you tried to depart this 'brawl'?" The silly question had to be made.
"I tried to. I said Grass-types were better, but it looked like they would strangle me." Julia was right, they so into this, they had become homicidal. "By the way I don't like meddle on these couple fights."
"Neither does me but… Hey, morons! Stop squabbling."
"Shut up, you, Mr. Know-It-All. But since you're getting into this, what is the better type?" Luana was asking for this.
"Normal-type." They started laughing, actually Julia would be laughing too if she could. Her gaze literally said: "I'm not holding laughter".
"Why, Mr. Know-It-All?" Rafael was almost crying.
"Because they are. Normal-type Pokémon are very versatile: one weakness and one immunity. Generally, Normal-types can learn moves from all the 18 types, most of them are quite useful. A handful of moves will get STAB from a Normal-type, in case you have forgotten. By the way, Normal-types aren't weak. Arceus, per example is a Normal-type Pokémon, when it isn't holding any plate. Every type is special; God knows how many times we have listened to this. By the way there's is something in your tooth, Rafael." Everybody listened silently what I was saying. Rafael and Luana blushed, I had the feeling Julia was blushing too. But this tense moment was spoiled by mother.
"Oh, here you are. Professor Kokutan will receive new trainers I quartets, I think you have already your group." Roserade, her loyal Pokémon, was by her side. "Professor said we should free our Pokémon. They like it."
"I know." Professor Kokutan said that Pokéballs aren't bad, but leaving Pokémon inside them for so long was bad for their mental health. "Nice to see you again, Roserade."
About 400 newly-graduated Trainers were happily waiting for the biggest decision of their lives: choosing a first Pokémon.
"Well, this will be a long day. The happiest day of your lives." Professor Kokutan was a young lady, newly-graduated. She was very excited. "Well, let's get started. I know this will take a long time. I think my assistant gave you some passwords. The first four, follow me."
Danielle, Michelle, Amanda and Barbara entered the professor's office. Michelle, Amanda and Barbara were "best friends forever"; poor Danielle, however, few new about those girls. Fifteen minutes later they became best friends too.
"I chose Squirtle, her name is Dora." Danielle and Henrique were good friends.
"That was a good idea, darling." Rafael was crazy. Luana was definitely jealous, but that's what
Dani likes, making girls jealous.
I didn't know any of the Trainers, until Vivian and her friends entered the office. It took 10 minutes, but they were happy when they left the office. I wondered what number my mother picked.
"99."
"Like, for real?"
"I was one of the firsts to be given a number. I thought I had better chances."
And here we go… 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 96, 97, 98…
"Number 99." The lab assistant called us. We were tired.
I recognized Luana's father with his Aegislash. Julia's father was explendorous with his Glaceon. Rafael's mother, so young, yet, so tired. Her Froslass almost made her beauty fade away.
"Welcome to the BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, world… BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, you must be happy. BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, now choose your Pokémon." If we were tired, she must be exhausted. "I'm sorry if I'm being indecent, I'm really tired."
"We know this, ma'am." Rafael was being polite as always. "Let's get this started, it's getting late. I'll be short and thick, I want Chimchar."
She gave him one of the last Pokéballs that where the under the fire symbol.
"I want Snivy." Julia said it without even thinking.
"Squirtle." Things were getting fast.
"Here it is." Professor seemed happy because of our speed. "What about you, good boy?"
"Well, I don't know." As she smiled, I got confused. She simply walked away. "Aren't you angry? Well, I had, like, nine hours."
"Thankfully, you were fast. Take this." She handled me an Euphoric Ball*, Pokéballs used for Pokémon who evolve through happiness. And inside of it was the small Eevee.
"Is it mine?"
"He is yours!" She seemed happy for giving me this gift. "I heard what you said early, it was very courageous. An Eevee can evolve into any of the 18 types*. You can have as long as you want for choosing a type. Good luck."
She gave us 10 PokéBalls each, some Potions and didn't give us any Pokédexes.
"Well, you can download them from the internet if you want." That would be easy, everyone download the Pokédex App at their cell phones. "Did you know the UPhone and the Galaxxiege* were made based on Pokédex prototypes? It will be much easier for you identifying Pokémon."
Our journey started now. We said our goodbyes to our families. I thought mother was being the most dramatic there until I saw that Rafael was still under his mother's arms.
Now, our journey begins.
Author's notes: This is a fan fiction, several details such as Pokémon and moves will be fictional. Terms marked with an asterisk (*) will be explained in this section if there is need.
Eggby: A Normal-type Pokémon from the Metropolis.
Height: 0.5 m / 1'8"
Weight: 3.0 kg / 6.6 lbs
Appearance: A small teal egg-shaped Pokémon with a crack on its shell, leaving 2 eyes on display. Its appearance resembles the one of a Togepi due to its small feet and hands.
Evolves into several Pokémon, but the only not from the Metropolis are Murkrow, Ducklett and Skardor, Skarmory's pre-evolution.
Bombat: An Electric/Fairy-type Pokémon from the Metropolis.
Height: 1.1 m / 3'7"
Weight: 25.2 kg / 55.6 lbs
Appearance: A big fluffy black cat-like Pokémon with yellow lightning-like stripes. It has light blue eyes and zigzag whiskers. A Pokémon that cherished by Trainers due to its strength and by Coordinators because of its cuteness.
Euphoric Ball is a kind of PokéBall invented by Geoffrey Kinkley, famous fashion designer, used specifically with Pokémon that evolve through happiness.
10 different Eeveelutions were discovered at the Metropolis. Each one of them are of the 10 types not yet attributed to an Eeveelution (Bug, Normal, Dragon, Flying, Steel, Rock, Ground, Poison, Ghost, Fighting).