"Wait, Skitty, no! That's not a toy!"
The kitten smirked and continued dragging my pillow through the dirt behind the lab, uncaring of my pleading.
It had been two weeks after my first day in this new world. After I went back to the Professor's lab, he agreed to let me stay after having a talk with Nurse Joy. For the first few days, I just sat in my room with Skitty, thinking about anything that could be useful on my journey. I mean, I was in the Pokémon world! I didn't have much of a choice.
After I got my trainer license, though, Professor Elm was quick to put me to work. It wasn't anything hard, but the amount of time handing things out to people took is much longer than you would think. In the mornings, I would help out in the lab. In the evenings. He would educate Kris and I about multiple topics. I could tell that Kris had heard it all before, but she never once looked bored. Hell, sometimes I got bored when he would go on and on about Pokémon breeding, but she just got her notepad out with a smile.
Kris and I were busy handing out coffee and paperwork in the mornings, but the afternoon was ours. Kris had to do things like this all day before I came along, apparently. During the afternoons, she convinced me to venture into the forest with her. One thing I had to get used to very quickly in this world is the lack of advanced technology. The most "advanced" phone was a flip phone, and they were so expensive almost nobody but rich snobs had them, or that's how Kris put it at least.
Every day, we would go out into the nearby forest with Skitty. The fact that I had a Pokémon of my own was a source of jealousy for Kris, but after a few days she got over it. Apparently, she had her license already, but her parents wouldn't allow her to catch any Pokémon until she got a starter from the professor, which was happening in about a week.
I always wondered how starters would work in a real-life scenario. As a kid, I always thought it would be crazy if every single ten year old got the same choice of three Pokémon. What if there was a shortage of that particular Pokémon that year due to breeding complications? Also, that would mean every trainer you fought would have one of the starters.
Thankfully, I was right. It didn't work like that. Or at least not in Johto-Kanto. There were a few trainers lucky, skilled, or in our situation, helpful enough to be sponsored by the lab, Pokemon association, or even by Gym leaders. These trainers would be given starters, which would be different depending on who the sponsor was.
There is a sort of list of difficulty between these three sponsor options. The easiest sponsor to get would be the Pokémon lab. If you did exceptionally well in trainer school, you had a good chance of being sponsored. Kris did so well that she actually skipped two years and volunteered to work in the lab. She is definitely guaranteed to be sponsored. As for me, Kris says there's a high chance, but when I asked the professor he said "Maybe." So I have my doubts. I planned to have one of the Johto starters for my team, but it wouldn't be the end of the world if I wasn't sponsored.
The main issue with this option and sponsors in general is that the sponsor spots are extremely limited. In Johto-Kanto, the professors can only sponsor three trainers each. This makes it so that the sustainable system of breeding for the same three starters flows smoothly, as any Pokémon would breed at least once between each league year. On the flip-side, the sponsorship also came with a free Pokédex, which was much more advanced than a phone and costed even more, and you would get a stipend that would increase the more data you provided for it.
In the middle ground, being sponsored by one of the Gyn leaders is much harder. There was a way to request being sponsored by them, but you had to be very skilled for them to even consider it a possibility. There was a test that allowed aspiring trainers to command obedient high level Pokémon, and face the Gym leaders in one-on-one battles. Even if you somehow won, there was still a high chance that the position would just go to a family member. The Pokémon they give sponsees depends on the Gym leaders type. As an example, Gym leader Chuck sponsored his nephew last year and gave him a fucking Jangmo-o. A foreign pseudo legendary that wasn't even fighting type yet. The league almost took it from the kid but after he thrashed the gyms and got into the top 8 of the tournament, they allowed him to keep it. Most of the time though, gym leaders would just give out more mundane Pokémon of their respective types.
Finally, the last way to be sponsored is through the league itself. Kris told me that she only knew because her grandfather was sponsored 50 years ago.
That was the last time the Johto-Kanto league sponsored anyone.
Even Lance, the current Champion, was sponsored by Clair Blackthorn's mother as a member of the family. Kris didn't even know how people were chosen to be sponsored by the League, and if she didn't, then I'm sure most people don't either.
I was painfully snapped out of my thoughts by Skitty tackling me to the ground, letting her frustration at being ignored be shown.
I huffed out a gasp as she sat on my chest, the wind knocked out of me.
"S-sorry. I was distracted by your...beauty, my lady."
The pink cat let out an evil snicker before licking her paws and climbing off of me, letting me breathe again. Skitty quickly let her true self out after I'd played with her a few times and she warmed up to me. Somehow, she acts like a playful puppy and a haughty princess all at the same time. When you see a Skitty, you wouldn't expect it to be strong enough to tackle someone four times its height to the floor. I learned the hard way, that Pokémon don't follow the same rules as regular animals.
A few days after I was given my license, Kris and I went out into the forest. Usually, we just hung out and looked for Pokémon, but only to watch them as they did their thing. This time, however, Skitty wasn't having it. A Sentret came out of the bushes and said something she didn't like, because right after it made a few smug-sounding comments she growled and got into a battle stance.
Kris was obviously excited, but I couldn't tell you how nervous I was. The Sentret was pretty big, and Skitty was so small. I hadn't even trained with her yet by that point, but I did know one of her moves.
Tackle.
I nervously called for her to tackle the opposing Pokémon, and she immediately ran forward to oblige. The Sentret didn't look the least bit worried at first, but after he was hit? He got sent flying into a nearby tree and struggled to get up.
Kris and I were so shocked that after we healed the poor guy, Kris didn't even try to ask if he'd want to go with her. She'd begged her parents to let her catch a Pokémon now that she had a friend with one, but the thought escaped her mind completely until it was already evening. Her mom made her give the Pokeball back after she didn't catch anything that day, much to her dismay.
So; just like that, my days went on. I handed out papers, learned to mix the coffee of every assistant to their specific likings, and began training Skitty. At this point, I didn't even know her other moves, so I just raced her around the battle arena behind the lab until we were both too tired to move.
Then, the time came.
The day started out like many others, with Skitty licking my face until I got up. I groaned and gently pushed her off, rising up and completely ignoring Kris' calls for help as she was tackled awake. By the time she was allowed off of the floor by Skitty, she came into the bathroom and began brushing her teeth alongside me. Her hair was covered with a sleeping cap and her eyes looked the same as mine: dead to the world.
After doing some basic hygiene, I went back into our shared room and played with Skitty a bit, having her chase a fluffy toy around. The last three I bought were completely destroyed within a day of their lives, but thankfully Skitty was satisfied enough with this one that she went easy on it. It took Kris about an hour to come out of the bathroom, looking the same as the day I first saw her.
"Your turn, Connor. You better be fast, or I'll have to leave you in the dust on our first day."
I shot her a disbelieving look before walking inside, taking the quickest shower of all time before rushing to put my clothes on, my tiredness forgotten.
Today was the day. Kris would get her starter, and I'd have a chance of getting one, too. Even if I didn't, that wasn't the most important part.
Today was the day that our journeys began.
I knelt down and let Skitty climb up to sit on my shoulder, my body shaking in excitement. I looked to Kris, who was unusually calm in a situation where she had every excuse to be jumping off the walls.
"Let's go."
We walked into the lab proper, and were surprised to see the Professor already awake. He was carrying a small briefcase and smiled down at us.
"My apprentices. Ah...this is always the most bittersweet part. Come, follow me outside."
Kris and I walked behind him, barely keeping our anticipation hidden. Kris was basically twitching every few seconds, while my eyes never left the briefcase. We walked into the battle arena out back and stopped in the middle of the field. Professor Elm turned with a smile as he began speaking.
"Kris Murai, you have shown to me and everyone in the lab that you have potential. I was only a child when your Grandfather retired from his Championship, yet every battle of his stuck with me throughout my years. You are the spitting image of him."
Kris blushed and thanked him quietly, her eyes looking at her shoes.
"Connor Aarons, you are a mystery." I gulped as I saw his glasses reflect the rising sunlight. "You showed up one day, with nothing but a Skitty and the clothes on your back. You escaped a bad situation and showed anyone who had doubts how motivated you were. Some of my assistants were surprised by my choice, but I think it's a given by now."
My eyes widened as he opened the briefcase, showing three Pokeballs to us.
"Kris, Connor, I'm glad to inform you two that you are officially sponsored Lab trainers, and are presented with three choices for a dedicated partner who will serve you well throughout your journey."
The Pokeballs opened as if the end of the speech was their signal, and three Pokémon popped out of them. From left to right, Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile stared up at us, each of their eyes shining in the dawn's orange glow.
Kris and I looked at each other, but after only a moment, I nodded at her and stepped back. She worked so hard for this moment, she definitely deserved to have first pick. She smiled gratefully before kneeling down and letting the Pokémon come to her. It seemed as though each one was already familiar with her, as they all clamored for her attention.
After a few more minutes of careful consideration, Kris stood up, prompting the three Pokémon to back up and get back in order.
"I...I know who my partner is."
She walks to Cyndaquil, and gently pets him on the head, making him croon softly. Her smile was so bright I didn't even hear the professor call that it was my turn until he'd already done it three times.
I walked up and knelt before both of the remaining Pokémon, holding each hand out for both of them. Chikorita came close first, gently touching my hand with his leaf for a few seconds. After that, he smiled and nuzzled against it, apparently finding me acceptable. I looked over to Totodile, but she didn't seem interested, shooting Skitty a look of distaste before moving closer to the professor. It looked like my choice was decided.
"Chikorita, I hope we can be good partners. I'll do the best I can to help you become the most powerful Chikorita there ever was."
Kris giggled a bit at my admittedly corny speech, but Chikorita cried happily and tackled me to the ground He was gentler than Skitty, but I still had to take a few seconds to regain my breath. Skitty gladly joined her new partner in crime as they both sat on my chest, finding solace in the fact that both of them liked abusing their trainer.
"Ahem! Now, most people would battle right after getting their new starter Pokémon, but I understand that you two will be traveling together. Is that correct?"
Kris and I nodded, having decided on this a while ago,
"Alright, so no need to trash my backyard just yet. One last thing before I have to get back to work." Chikorita and Skitty climb off of me, allowing me to stand up as the professor pulls out two Pokedexes. "Don't lose or damage these, okay? The replacement will come out of your stipend until it's paid off." Kris and I shivered at the thought of being in debt while on a journey. "I recommend you train for a while before leaving. Remember the things I taught you, and you'll do just fine."
The professor returned Totodile and walked back inside with a wave, leaving us to our own devices.
"Wanna battle anyway?"
AN
I'm on a roll right now. If any Totodile fans are upset, don't worry. She'll be...chosen by a character that appears very often, so you'll see plenty of her. I 3 Chikorita. Bye y'all!