Memoirs of a Pokemon Master

Chapter 1- The Beginning

15 years ago or so, I began my Pokemon Journey after months of intense prep work in Pre-Trainer training classes; I suppose before they let a 10 year old out into the world with a small creature capable of great power, they have to have some form of training. Now, during these training sessions, I was usually pretty good at the pokemon training moduals that Professor Oak always set forth for us. I was top of my class in terms of Pokemon typology, Pokemon training mechanics and other actual trainer elements. The nature and survival skills…well, lets say I was lucky to get by on that. The Professor and invited guest speakers often teach you things that you think you won't need but sometimes regret later that you didn't pay attention to. Things like: What to do if your pokeball is damaged, or if you lose your pokedex. Though in hindsight, I could've used that Pokeball lesson during that incident with Snorlax, but I digress.

You also may know that each region's budding Pokemon trainer training is overseen by the region's Professor though his aids conduct training in other areas around the region. Theoretically, being that I was being taught in person by the world's leading authority on Pokemon, I should've been a force to recon with. Like I said, I didn't always pay attention in those lessons so that may have had something to do with it.

I always had training with Gary and the other trainers from Pallet. Gary, having been my childhood friend for years before that point had been my only friend in those classes. I suppose that's when I should've realized that he was destined to become a permanent fixture in my life, but what 10 year old knows these things. I hardly knew anything about love or feelings or having a boyfriend but I knew how I felt at that age. I knew that something about Gary was… different. Not a bad kind of different but a different that made me automatically feel happy when he walked into a room and gave me a dazzling smile.

So when areas of our Pokemon trainer training became less than thrilling, my mind automatically went to those differences. Like how Gary's emerald eyes seemed so cool but warm and inviting or like how even though he was only a year or so older than me, he seemed so much more larger than life than I did. It also didn't help that Gary almost always insisted on sitting next to me during these lessons. Now, before you start to think I'm exaggerating, I have a story to prove it.

There was one day I think two weeks before the end of training, I had arrived early for our training session, which in and of itself, was really odd being that I was usually the last to arrive. But regardless, I arrived early and sat down to this other trainer. Her name was Hurricyine (her father was a meteorologist and studied hurricanes for a living), but she went by Hurri for short. I remember this because I clearly remember thinking how odd her name was and why her parents didn't name her something standard like Ann or Beth. Anyway, I had learned so much about her in the time between I arrived and the lesson changed. She wanted to train Pokemon because her older brother was a powerful trainer and she wanted to be like him, her favorite food was rice balls, and her mother had a pet Corpish named Pinchy.

Anyway, Gary had come in with his grandfather that morning, having helped him tend to the pokemon on the ranch that morning and fell behind schedule. I hadn't noticed he had come in at first, but there was this feeling… a tingling feeling on the back of my neck, which now looking back I realize was the feeling you get when someone is staring at you with every ounce of their being. I remember looking up and toward the industrial steel doors of the classroom and Gary was standing there… just staring at me while Professor Oak had walked to the front of the room to start the lesson. Gary was wearing this tight fitting kiddie black underarmor shirt which hugged his beefy (as beefy as you can get at that young an age) and blue jeans today (I had often cataloged what Gary wore most days). He had this look in his eye that I didn't recognize but it looked like he was ticked off and he was staring at me.

Ticked off Gary… staring at me… makes you think. And regret many life choices.

So of course, I immediately start wondering what the fuck I did wrong to piss him off. Usually, THAT look was reserved for when I did things to tick him off in epic proportions. Like that one time I had sneezed over his ice cream cone, after he had begged his grandfather for the money to get it from the ice cream truck. But the weirdest thing happened… he noticed me looking back and he gave me his standard 1000 Pika-Watt smile before walking up to me.

"Good morning Ashy" He had said to me. "Ashy" had become a term of endearment over the years and he was the only one I let call me that (and to be honest, he was the only one he let call me that). It had become a nickname of sorts between friends. Anyway, I said good morning back and he gave me another grin before turning to look at Hurri. She never knew that she had pretty much done the worst thing she could've done in her 10 year old lifespan. She continued chatting away about her mother's pet Corpish and how she hated it and how she wanted to specialize in Grass pokemon (that was another thing I learned about her… she planned on asking for the Bulbasaur that Professor Oak had). So, Gary had turned this look on Hurri… this deep, dark, look of pure loathing that could've stopped a stampeding Tyranitar. Hurri had noticed the look fast enough and she offered Gary a small smile.

"Hello Gary?" Hurri had asked. She clearly had this WTF tint to her voice, which to her credit was awfully brave of her.

"You're in MY seat" Gary had all but snarled, while having placed this steely smirk on his face, that offered dire consequences if she argued.

Now in my opinion, Hurri may not have been the brightest crayon in the box but she was also someone who initially not afraid to stand up to THE Gary Oak. I remember her next words clear as day:

"I don't see your name on it"

Now… you may be thinking that was a childish thing to say. But remember… we were kids at this point. The time of your life where "I don't see your name on it" and "I know you are but what am I" was expected and acceptable. Anyway, at this point, I was extremely nervous. Not many people had seen an angry, 11 year old Gary Oak. Probably not dangerous to an adult but to kids in our age group, it wasn't something one would want to be on the receiving end of.

You know… I kinda wonder if Gary truly was a bully of sorts.

But I remember Gary, walking over to Hurri with his trademark swagger. That swagger that reeked of the confidence and slight cockiness that said "I'm someone important". He had leaned down and whispered something in her ear… which to this day I still don't know what. But whatever he'd said caused Hurri's face to erupt into flames.

"S…sorry Gary" she had muttered before picking up her pink, Beautifly adorned journal and moving over to the other table. Gary had watched her leave and I did too. I must admit that I was slightly disappointed to see her move cause we were getting to know each other. But Gary had sat down, gave me this cheesy, Oak grin and I forgot about Hurri.

But that's essentially how training went… I sat next to Gary every single day, we joked, we laughed, we learned together. The intense feeling I had with Gary continued, even though I had no idea what to make of it. Now, I know that Gary is a big old teddy bear but he wouldn't want people to know that. We were destined to become Co-Pokemon Masters and rule the world. That didn't happen of course after we got into a fight over an old Pokeball down at the river, but that's a story for another chapter. But I suppose at 10 years old, I had feelings for Gary and I feel as though Gary had feelings for me. He was always really protective and would brook no argument when it came to any other kid being in close proximity to me.

A couple weeks later, we finished our training and it was the day that we were to receive our Pokemon. Gary was still mad at me over something, probably that stupid pokeball that I had forgotten about. I didn't want to believe that it was that old pokeball cause that'd be something stupid to be that mad over. Either way, I had woken up late cause I was having this pretty cool dream of which pokemon I was gonna pick and somehow ended up breaking my alarm clock in the middle of the night. But I had woken up, realized that I woke up late and hauled ass out of there… not caring that I was in my pyjamas cause I could NOT be the trainer that didn't get a pokemon.

5 trainers… only 3 pokemon. That math wouldn't have worked out, even if I had been on time. Remind me to ask Professor Oak about that.

When I got to Professor Oak's lab, it was too late, or so I thought. Hurri and the other trainers had left except Gary who was getting into this sleek, red convertible. His sister Daisy was going to drive him around the region and her friends, who many of you might have noticed were those ditzy cheerleaders, were cheering him on as he gave this cocky speech about how he was going to do Pallet proud. As I ran into sight, of course he had to say something about how I was a loser who was ill equipped to go on this journey. I didn't care though, cause I was gonna get my Pokemon, travel Kanto and prove him wrong.

I was angry. Truly and utterly angry. Mere weeks ago, we were planning to take the world by storm. We were best friends who were always going to be there for each other, no matter what, forever. But forever wasn't meant to be I suppose, because Gary had thrown it all away. I can't help but wonder what my role in that whole rivalry starting was, but it was mostly him. He threw away our friendship and I suppose a part of me still hurts from that. We traded a few more biting remarks about how we were going to beat the other. I can't remember too much more about that conversation, but I do remember this. As he drove away with his sister in the driver seat, his cheering cheerleaders, and his biting last remarks, I had experienced a brand new feeling that I had never felt before. It was this tightening in my chest that made me short of breath, extremely depressed, and left me feeling totally helpless. A feeling I can now identify as… heartbreak.

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