After writing an end-of-the-school-year personal essay about why she wants to become a Trainer, Summer plans to start her journey where many new Trainers go: the Kanto Region. Unfortunately, her dad wants her to stay in Hoenn. When she leaves her house to see Professor Birch, he's gotten into trouble again. What will Summer do and how will she convince her dad?

Chapter 1: My First Pokémon and My First Legendary Pokémon Sighting (Part 1)

I woke up one summer morning to the sound of Taillow outside my house. It seemed like any ordinary day, however it was my 10th birthday and I was able to finally get my very own Pokémon. Working with Pokémon everyday didn't reduce my desire to become a Pokémon Trainer. I put on my bronze-rimmed glasses and looked out at Littleroot Town for a few minutes. I knew I was lucky to meet Pokémon and hoped my journey will allow me to study and learn more about them. After that, I set out the clothes I would wear today. I already packed most of the clothes for my journey into my purple West Side backpack. I put on my favorite brown nature T-shirt with a picture of Mt. Chimney and my blue jean capris, brushed my hair and teeth, and ran downstairs.

"Good morning, Summer!" My mom, Anna, said as I got to our kitchen. She was a short woman with black hair and a slight build. Despite her size, she was very strong-willed and caring. She worked as an administrator for the Hoenn Transportation and Roads Maintenance Department at the western branch in Petalburg City. She was an excellent cook and loved crocheting. She would prepare fabulous holiday dinners and give us and friends warm sweaters and blankets for presents.

"Good morning, Mommy!" I replied cheerfully. I saw that she made my favorite breakfast: pancakes with warm syrup and fresh Pecha Berries.

"This looks good!" I said, about to dig in.

"Summer, we need to wait for Daddy to come," my mom said.

I was a little impatient and hungry, but I knew I had to wait for my dad, William. He's the kind of person who waits for everyone to arrive before a meal starts. I heard footsteps coming from upstairs and saw my dad. He was taller than my mom was and had black hair. He worked at a company in Rustboro City specializing in technical support for companies in the Hoenn region. He's a smart and hardworking man with great stories about his childhood. Although losing my sister took a toll on him, he loves me greatly and tries to help me with everything.

"Happy birthday, Summer!" my dad said when he came into the kitchen.

"Thanks, Daddy," I said, eagerly waiting to eat my pancakes.

My mom smiled and said, "You can eat them now." She got pancakes for my dad and herself while I ate.

My dad asked, "Are you ready to start on your journey, Summer?"

After eating a mouthful of pancakes, I excited said, "Yes, Daddy! I can't wait to travel to the Kanto region!"

My dad paused, then said, "I thought you are going to travel around the Hoenn region."

I said, "I did think about traveling around Hoenn, but I want to explore Kanto since that's where most Trainers start on their journeys."

My dad raised his voice a little, saying, "I don't think you should travel to Kanto. We don't have any relatives there."

I knew where my dad was coming from, but I said, "We have relatives in Johto. If I do need help, I can call them." My dad stopped talking and went off to his computer room.

I became a little upset, since sometimes I blurt out things without really thinking about people's feelings. I asked my mom, "Did I upset Daddy again?"

"No, Summer," my mom said after sighing. "He's just worried about you traveling so far from home. Why don't you go see Professor Birch and get your first Pokémon?"

"Okay…" I said, a little down. "Do you need help with the dishes?"

"That's all right," my mom said. "Don't feel so upset. Getting your first Pokémon is a very happy moment."

I smiled at my mom's words. "Thanks, Mommy," I happily said. I put on my white and blue shoes, waved goodbye to my mom, and headed outside.

I headed straight to Professor Birch's Laboratory. It was a short walk, as the lab was southeast from my house. I knew around this time Professor Birch would be feeding the starter Pokémon. I spent a lot of time caring for the starters and helping new Trainers pick their first Pokémon. The excitement of finally having one of the starter Pokémon for myself made the walk to the Lab seem it was only a few seconds.

I arrived at the lab and noticed a boy slightly older than me waiting outside. He had very dark spiked hair and tan skin and wore a blue shirt, black jeans, and a red bandana. He was tall and showed a determined but slightly annoyed look on his face.

I walked up to the boy and I felt a little scared to be near him. I stood a foot away and asked, "Are you here to get a starter Pokémon too?"

The boy said, in an upset tone, "I've been waiting outside for half an hour and Professor Birch is not here!"

I wasn't too worried about it, since Professor Birch sometimes gets so engrossed in his research that he is late to several meetings and important events. "I'll go look for Professor Birch. He's most likely doing research nearby," I told the boy.

The boy crossed his arms and said, "I'll wait around a little longer."

I breathed a sign of relief. For one, he has some patience. And two, I did want to get away from him. I headed towards the road leading away from Littleroot Town: Route 101.

I walked around for a little while, trying to avoid the grass, when I heard, "HELP ME!"

That sounds like Professor Birch, I thought. He must be in trouble! I ran towards his voice and found a man with brown hair wearing a lab coat and shorts being chased by two black dogs, which I recognized as Poochyena.

Professor Birch saw me and breathed a sigh of relief. "Summer, it's you!" he quickly said, running around in circles. "Could you get one of the starter Pokémon in my bag? He could really help us out."

I looked inside his brown bag and found three Pokéballs containing the starter Pokémon. "Why did you take the starter Pokémon with you and not your Zigzagoon?"

"There's no time for questions! I'm starting to get really tired…" he said. He was then stopped by a row of trees and the Poochyena surrounded him, growling.

I noticed the situation was getting worse and looked inside the Pokéballs. Two of the starters, Mudkip, the Water starter, and Treecko, the Grass starter, were scared to come out of their Pokéballs, and I knew they wouldn't want to battle. The Fire starter Torchic, however, was trying to get out of his Pokéball. I let Torchic out and he ran towards the Poochyena, trying by himself. The Poochyena then tackled Torchic and pushed him back.

I told Torchic, "We need to try a different way. The Poochyena look strong." Torchic was a little shocked but then looked at me intently, as if he was waiting for a command.

"Torchic," I realized, "Do you want to listen to me and battle the Poochyena together?"

Torchic nodded, and I knew he was the starter I want. "Use Growl, Torchic!" I commanded Torchic.

Torchic released a low-pitched growl at the Poochyena. The noise hurt the Poochyenas' ears, and they charged towards us.

I then told Torchic, "Use Growl once more, then Scratch!" The Growl weakened them enough so Torchic was able to Scratch them, making the Poochyena flee with fright.

I knelt down and petted Torchic's head. "Thank you Torchic. You did really well helping me save Professor Birch."

Torchic chirped happily and looked at me with a sparkle in his eyes. I could tell he wanted me to be his Trainer. I smiled at Torchic and returned him to his Pokéball.

I ran over to Professor Birch and asked, "Are you okay, Professor?"

Professor Birch finished panted and said, "Thanks, Summer. I owe you one."

"Professor," I smiled, "you owe me a lot of favors every time I remind you that you're late for something. Speaking of late…"

"Oh, no!" Professor Birch exclaimed, "You and Aaron are getting your starter Pokémon today! We should quickly head back to the lab. But let's take it a little easy. I still need to recover from my impromptu exercise."

I laughed and said, "Of course, Professor."

We briskly walked to the lab. Aaron was staring at the trees then noticed us coming to the doors.

"Aaron!" Professor Birch exclaimed. "Sorry, I'm late! I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."

"I was here for a little while, but I understand," Aaron said with a small smile.

Professor Birch unlocked the lab doors and we all went inside. The lab had one main floor and a second half floor. Instead of test tubes and lab containers like most labs, the lab was filled with plant and soil samples from around the Hoenn region. Professor Birch also had a computer station with a cameraphone and a high tech computer, which I mostly used since he didn't like computers. Bookshelves lined the first floor, containing books about regional habitats, Pokémon adaptation, and some books he wrote. Professor Birch's Zigzagoon, a brown and tan furry Pokémon with a raccoon-like face, was cleaning his lab table.

"Hi, Ziggy! Sorry we kept you waiting," Professor Birch sheepishly said.

Zigzagoon nodded at us and got off the table. The professor set down his bag and let the starter Pokémon out on his lab table. Mudkip and Treecko looked happier and greeted us. Torchic, on the other hand, jumped into my arms and was very excited to see me again.

"Professor," I politely asked, "can I have Torchic? I feel we really bonded."

The professor smiled and said, "Of course! Since you saved me, you deserve the first pick. The bond Torchic and you had while battling the Poochyena was strong despite meeting for the first time."

"Thank you so much, Professor!" I happily exclaimed. Torchic chirped happily as well. I hugged Torchic, and his warmth entering my heart. "Torchic, would it be okay if I nickname you Blaze?" I calmly asked. Torchic beamed at his new name and snuggled my right arm.

Professor Birch smiled and said, "That is a fine nickname, Summer. Now then, Aaron, which Pokémon would you like?"

Aaron stared at Treecko and Mudkip for a while. "I'll take Mudkip," he firmly stated. Mudkip smirked at his new Trainer.

"Thanks for getting the professor," Aaron said to me. "I hope we can battle in the future."

"Sure," I said. Aaron left the lab and started his journey, or so I thought at the time. I returned Blaze to give him some rest.

"Professor," I asked, "why were you on Route 101 earlier without Ziggy?"

"Oh….." Professor Birch slowly said, "I was trying to get the starter Pokémon some fresh air. I thought that since it wouldn't be too far from the lab, Ziggy can stay inside. I guess I got a little too close to a Poochyena den, and that was why they were chasing me."

"Professor," I lightly scolded, "you should really watch where you're going."

He laughed and said, "I'll try to remember next time. So, Summer, which region will you start your journey in?"

I paused, unsure of what to tell him.

Professor Birch looked worried and asked, "Is something the matter, Summer? Remember, I'm here if you want to talk about it."

I smiled and said, "Thanks, Professor. I want to go to the Kanto region because that's where most first-time Trainers start their journeys. But my dad doesn't want me to go because we have no relatives there."

Professor Birch put his hand on my shoulder and said, "Summer, I'm confident you'll have a great journey in Kanto. And, you'll be able to do more research about Pokémon environments. Kanto has different ecosystems not found in Hoenn. Hey, I know the regional Professor there. I'm sure he can help you with not only your research but also your journey. Why don't I give him a call and let your parents know? Maybe that'll help change Bill's mind."

"Thank you so much, Professor Birch!" I exclaimed with joy.

"It's the least I can do for all the work you help me with, Summer," Professor Birch said.

The cameraphone by his desk rang, slightly startling me.

"Oh, I wonder who that could be," Professor Birch said curiously.

He walked over to the cameraphone and answered the call. A man with brown hair and glasses and wearing a lab coat showed up on the screen. I couldn't figure out what they were talking about, but it seemed very important.

Professor Birch walked back to me and said, "That was Professor Elm from the Johto Region. He needs help getting a valuable package, but his Junior Research Assistant was not old enough to have a Pokémon and Professor Elm wanted someone to go with him. I recommended you to go, since you're going to the Kanto region anyway."

"I can go to Johto and help, but don't most ships go to Olivine City?" I wondered.

Professor Birch smiled and said, "Normally yes, but there's a specialized cruise line that goes to smaller ports, like Petalburg City and Cherrygrove City, the closest city to where Professor Elm lives. I'll help arrange the ticket, so don''t worry about the price."

"Thanks, Professor," I said with a smile.

"Now," Professor Birch said, "let's go over to your house and I'll talk to Bill."

"Sure," I said. We left his lab and headed over to my house.

My parents were waiting outside. My mom was happy to see us. Professor Birch started to talk with my dad, and my mom walked towards me.

"So, Summer, which Pokémon did you pick?" my mom asked.

I let out Blaze and said, "This is Blaze, my Torchic."

"It's so nice to meet you, Blaze," my mom said with a sweet smile. Blaze smiled and jumped into her arms. "He feels so warm! No wonder why he's the perfect partner for you; you always hated the cold."

I laughed and said, "That's very true!"

We looked at my dad and Professor Birch. My dad looked upset while the professor was trying to reason with him.

My mom sighed and said, "This may take a while again. Summer, why don't you go visit Uncle Alberto? He may need help on his farm. Since you have Blaze, I think it'll be safe for you to go by yourself."

"Sounds like a good idea," I said, "I think I need Uncle Alberto's advice as well. I'll see you before the sun sets."

"I'll let Uncle Alberto know you're coming and you can meet him in Oldale Town."

"Sounds, good," I said with a smile.

"Goodbye, Summer. Be safe!" my mom said and hugged me. I hugged her back. I left my house, with Blaze in my arms, and headed towards Uncle Alberto's farm near Oldale Town.

Pokémon: Blaze (Torchic): Brave Nature, moves: Scratch, Growl

Questions of the Chapter:

Who is Aaron? (BTW: he won't be in the Kanto story, but he will be in a future story. So feel free to speculate)

What do you think happened to Summer's sister?