DISLCAIMER: I DO NOT OWN POKÉMON
x
PLEASE SUPPORT THE OFFICIAL RELEASE!
|CHAPTER ONE|
When Sam pulled back from their hug, the lines on Daisy's forehead had smoothed out some and she reached out to ruffle his already messy hair.
"Alright, I trust you," she said softly. "Now, hurry up and get down to the lab. Arceus knows your Uncle Gary would never let me hear the end of it if you were late today."
Sam huffed a small laugh as he headed for the front door. "I'll see you when I get back!"
There wasn't a chance in hell he'd be late today.
I'm about to get a Starter Pokémon! Sam thought as he stepped out into the sunshine and set off down the street towards Professor Oak's Pokémon Research Lab at the edge of Pallet Town.
Now the largest and most advanced lab in the entire Kanto region, Professor Oak's lab had long been Pallet's sole claim to fame before a certain hometown rookie trainer took the battling world by storm.
When Sam got to the lab, his face suddenly fell when he saw three other kids standing outside the front doors. The most familiar face was leaning casually against the lab's outer wall, arms crossed and signature smug look firmly in place.
"Well, well...looks like little Sammy Oak finally decided to show up," Blue announced loudly. "Cutting it close, aren't we Sammy? Guess you just assumed Professor Oak would make an exception for you, right?"
Sam clenched his fists but didn't respond. Don't let him rile you up, he reminded himself firmly, refusing to let the other boy rattle him. Blue never missed a chance to bring up Sam's background with veiled accusations of nepotism and unfair favoritism by Professor Oak.
In other words, Blue was deeply jealous of Sam's ties to the Oak legacy—not that the blowhard would ever admit it.
The other two rookie trainers, Chase and Elaine looked uncomfortable with Blue's teasing but were too meek to protest.
Blue threw an arm around Sam's shoulders. "I got here over an hour ago, but I'm sure you needed your beauty sleep. Gotta look good stepping out of your daddy's shadow, right?"
Sam snapped, shoving Blue's arm off him. "Shut up, Blue!"
Blue stumbled, looking shocked at the sudden physical confrontation. Sam was trying to act the part until he got out of Pallet Town, but damn was it hard sometimes.
"C'mon guys, let's not fight," Elaine said, glancing between them.
"Yeah," Chase nodded. "Leave the battling to the Pokémon."
Sam just smirked in response. "Hah, as if a loser like Blue stands a chance against me," he looked at Blue and nodded. "But fine, let's do it. I'll show you what it takes to be a real trainer."
Blue's face turned red but before he could respond, the lab doors slid open. A petite woman wearing a crisp white lab coat greeted them with a smile. "You must be the new trainers I was told about," she said, leading them into the lab. "Please follow me, and I'll take you to meet Professor Oak."
Sam was practically shaking with excitement as he stepped into Professor Oak's lab. His eyes darted around, taking in the gleaming machinery and advanced technology that looked far too advanced to exist in the real world.
In the center of the room sat a small table, Sam's eyes were immediately drawn to the gleaming red and white Pokéballs placed neatly on top.
This is it!
After months of waiting, today was the day Sam would finally get his first Pokémon partner!
Standing next to the table was Professor Gary Oak himself. "Welcome, welcome!" Professor Oak gestured broadly, his lab coat swishing. "As I'm sure you all know, today you'll be taking your first steps as rookie Pokémon Trainers!
"Now, each of you will get to choose one of these three Pokémon as your first partner," Professor Oak explained, gesturing towards the Pokéballs on the table. "There is Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur."
Sam noticed a small problem, his brows furrowing in concern. "Professor? There are only three Pokéballs," he pointed out, gesturing to the limited number on the table.
"Don't worry about that," Professor Oak said, waving the question away. "Due to an unfortunate error with another lab, I only have three starter Pokémon available at the moment."
How can we not worry about that? Sam thought, not understanding how the Professor could be so flippant when talking about their futures.
"You will all still receive a Pokémon of your own," Professor Oak reassured them. "One of you may just have to wait a little longer for a different Pokémon."
The group let out a collective sigh of relief.
"Now, who is willing to wait on their Pokémon?"
As the professor's words sunk in, Sam realized that Blue, Chase, and Elaine were all looking at him. Their silent expectation hung in the air that he should be the one to wait because obviously, Professor Oak wouldn't let his nephew miss out on getting a starter Pokémon.
Well fuck that!
Sam wanted Charizard and he wasn't about to throw that chance away for three strangers!
The silence stretched on, and Professor Oak let out a heavy sigh. "Alright then, since we have no volunteer, we'll have to determine who gets a Kanto Starter at random."
He pulled out four straws of different lengths from a pocket in his lab coat.
"Each of you will draw a straw, and whoever gets the shortest one will receive an alternate Pokémon that I have available. Sam, you pick first."
Sam leaned in and squinted at the row of straws, four thin green cylinders poking out from between Professor Oak's fingers as if he could somehow see through flesh and bone if he stared hard enough.
After a moment, he reached out and tapped the straw nearest to Professor Oak's thumb.
"That one?" Professor Oak asked.
Sam nodded firmly. "Yes, that one."
Blue stepped up to him, bumping Sam's shoulder. "Hold on," he said. "Why does he get to go—"
Professor Oak opened his hand, revealing the size of the straw Sam had picked. It was barely an inch long, clearly the shortest of the bunch.
Shit! Sam cursed as Blue snapped his mouth shut, a bright grin on his face.
"Great!" Professor Oak clapped his hands. "Now that we've got that settled, once the others have their Pokémon, I'll see what other Pokémon I have available."
Sam sighed as Professor Oak turned away from him, gesturing to the three Pokéballs on the table.
"The Pokéball on the left contains Bulbasaur, a grass type. The one in the middle holds Charmander, a fire type. And the one on the right is Squirtle, a water type. Who's choosing first?"
Sam watched with envy as Blue pushed his way in front of the others and snatched the Pokéball containing Charmander off the table. Ever since he first started playing and watching Pokémon, he had wanted one. The fire Pokémon was strong even when it was young, and only got stronger as it aged and evolved.
Chase chose Squirtle and Elaine was left with Bulbasaur, but she was smiling so Sam didn't think she was upset at all about which starter Pokémon she got.
"Sam, wait here." Professor Oak said before leaving the room to get Sam's starter Pokémon. Sam hoped his uncle would be able to get a Charmander from another breeder.
"I'll be waiting outside, Sammy!" Blue grinned as he held up Charmander's Pokéball. "Don't think just because you're not getting a Kanto starter I'll forget our battle."
"Wouldn't dream of it," Sam muttered as Blue walked out of the lab. Chase and Elaine followed, but they kept a few steps behind. Sam doubted he'd see them waiting with Blue when it was time for them to battle.
After they left, Sam started pacing the small room as he waited for Professor Oak to come back.
Finally, after almost half an hour, the door to the room slid open. "Sorry for the wait, Sammy," Professor Oak said as he walked back into the room.
Sam jumped out of his seat, staring at the red and white Pokéball in the professor's hand.
"Is that it, Professor?"
"We're alone now, Sammy. You can call me Uncle Gary," Professor Oak said, holding out his hand.
Sam snatched the ball and didn't waste a single moment before pressing the release button. He watched in awe as red energy shot out of the ball and formed into a round-bodied Pokémon. It was yellow in color with striking black stripes wrapping horizontally around its stocky body. But the most interesting features were a pair of menacing yellow horns atop its head resembling the prongs of an electrical plug, holes and all.
Elekid blinked up at Sam, arms twitching from the excess electrical energy constantly churning inside its body. Sam could see tiny sparks flying from between its horns.
He was disappointed at not getting a Charmander, but the feeling didn't last long.
An Electric type! Sam's mind raced—this was just like how Ash Ketchum himself had received Pikachu instead of a standard starter. And thanks to Ash, he knew where to get at least two of the three Kanto Starter Pokémon anyway.
"All right then Elekid," Sam pulled his phone from his pocket and opened the Pokedex app. "Let's see what attacks you know?"
Once Elekid was lined up in the camera, a mechanical voice started speaking.
Elekid, the electric Pokémon. Elekid stores electricity in its body. If it touches metal and accidentally discharges all its built-up electricity, this Pokémon begins swinging its arms in circles to recharge itself.
Gender: Male,
Height: 1'10.
This Elekid knows the moves: Quick Attack, Thunder Shock, and Focus Punch.
"Thunder Shock, Quick Attack, and Focus Punch?" Sam whistled impressed as he tucked his phone away. "Those are some powerful moves."
Elekid preened at the praise and bumped its head against Sam's knee, rumbling happily at the attention.
"This is an impressive specimen of its breed," Professor Oak admitted. "It's father was my own Electivire."
"Thanks, Uncle Gary," Sam said as he put his Pokedex away.
He walked out of the lab with Elekid following behind him and noticed that Blue was waiting outside with a cocky smile on his face.
"Ha! That's the Pokémon the Professor gave you?" Blue's face twisted in a mocking smirk, his eyes sparkling with amusement as he looked down at the yellow and black striped Pokémon. "It's not even a real starter. It looks like a stuffed toy!"
"Starter or not, it doesn't matter," Sam shrugged. "There's a world of difference between me and a scrub like you."
"Scrub?" Blue growled. "I'll show you!"
He tossed Charmander's Pokéball up in the air. It popped open midair, red energy swirling out in a rush. The energy molded itself into the distinct orange reptile as it formed beside Blue.
It was a small creature, with bright orange scales glistening in the light and a tiny at the end of its tail. Charmander stretched both arms overhead with a squeaky yawn, fire flaring from its flickering tail.
Sam wanted it so bad!
"Use Tackle, Charmander!" Blue ordered.
Charmander charged forward, its claws outstretched and ready to strike.
Sam shook himself out of his amazed stupor as the young fire-type stumbled more than ran on its stubby legs. He really needed to get over to the Charzific Valley in Johto, but for now, he had a battle to focus on.
"Elekid, use Thunder Shock!"
Instantly, Elekid thrust its arms forward, spinning them to gather electricity. Yellow sparks crackled around Elekid's horns before discharging a small blast of lighting that shot through the air toward Charmander.
There was a slight tingle in the air, almost like static electricity that sent a tingling sensation through Sam's body.
"Get out of the way, Charmander!" Blue shouted.
Charmander jumped to the side just in time as the Thunder Shock plowed a blackened furrow into the space it had just occupied
"Scratch, let's go!" Blue punched the air.
The lizard Pokémon raced forward again, the claws on its hands glowing with a silvery metallic sheen.
"Block its arms and hit it with Focus Punch!"
Charmander swiped furiously at Elekid who shot both arms up just in time to block, skidding backward from the force of the blow. Elekid's right hand started to glow a light blue as it gathered energy.
"Use Ember while it's close!"
Sam could almost feel Blue's satisfied smirk from across the small arena without even glancing over. Charmander's small mouth opened. He could see fire starting to gather in the back of its throat.
"Focus Punch now, Elekid!"
Elekid slammed its glowing blue fist into Charmander's face with a fierce right hook. Charmander was lifted completely off its feet, hitting the ground and rolling.
Across from Sam, Blue had lost a bit of his cocky swagger. "Get up Charmander! Walk it off!"
Sam wasn't planning on giving Charmander any time to walk it off. "Use Quick Attack while Charmander's stunned!" he said, and Elekid didn't waste a second and took off like a bolt of lightning.
Elekid charged forward in a blur and slammed its horns into Charmander's soft belly. The force of the attack knocked Charmander back several feet, the fire-type landing with a loud thump! and stayed down.
Sam bent down and picked Elekid up as it walked back over to him. "Looks like I win, good battle."
Not the most spectacular battle, but Sam still couldn't stop the smile on his face as he walked away from the lab. Blue didn't give them any trouble, too shocked that he'd lost to bother them.
Sam left his rival with his injured Charmander and walked back to his home riding high on his win. I just won his first Pokémon battle! he almost started skipping! He'd been in the world of Pokémon for months, waiting for this moment and it didn't disappoint.
Obviously, Sam knew the battle probably had looked quite boring from the outside. A battle between what was essentially two baby Pokémon wasn't going to be prime-time television, but he didn't care!
Focus Punch was awesome!
Quick Attack was awesome!
Hell, even Charmander's Scratch was awesome!
Everything about the battle was amazing because it was real! The smells, the feeling, the adrenaline!
The Pokémon games were fun, and the anime was flashy, but nothing compared to the real deal.
Back at his house, Daisy and Joy were waiting on the front step. Daisy held Sam's backpack in her hands and Joy looked uncomfortable. The two of them together on any other day would have made Sam sigh and psyche himself up for another argument.
Today?
Sam was ready to give Daisy a kiss on the cheek and pull Joy into a steamy lip-lock, stopping just shy of slipping her tongue.
Instead, he was completely ignored.
Joy's eyes lit up with excitement as she saw the small, adorable creature Sam was carrying. She scooped up Elekid in her arms. "Oh, it's just darling!" she squealed.
"Look at its fur! So soft!" Daisy cooed, handing Sam his backpack so she could run her fingers through the dark fur under Elekid's chin.
While Elekid preened and purred, Sam quickly slung his backpack over his shoulders, feeling excited about his journey to Viridian City. He shifted around, twisting his hips and raising his arms, testing the bag's weight. He had packed light, with only a change of clothes, some food for himself and his Pokémon, and a few other essential items.
It wouldn't take him more than a day to reach Viridian City from Pallet Town, so there was no point in bogging himself down with a lot of gear. He could buy what he needed in Viridian City before heading into the Viridian Forest.
"Why don't you ever treat me like that?" Sam asked, taking Elekid back from Joy.
She let out a small laugh and rolled her eyes playfully. "I guess you're just not as cute as your Pokémon," she teased.
Daisy coughed to get their attention, killing their flirty banter, and Sam let out a deep breath. Joy glanced between them before leaning in and planting a gentle kiss on Sam's cheek.
"Good luck, Sam," she spoke softly, patting his chest before turning to leave. "Take care, Mrs. Oak," she added as she walked away.
Now all that was left was to say goodbye to Daisy.
Sam turned to her, but before he could say anything, she had thrown her arms around him in a crushing hug. Her voice was strained as she whispered, "Promise me you'll call when you reach Viridian City."
"I will," he promised as he pulled away from the hug. It was the least he could do.
Waving goodbye, Sam walked towards the gate that separated Pallet Town from Route 1.
Anyway, shameless Pa-atreon plug. I've got one, go by the same username on there, and the story is up to chapter 5 on there. Support me if you want, or if you would like to read the chapters ahead of time, but don't feel pressured, I'll be uploading all my stuff outside it regardless and not keeping it all behind a paywall or anything like that.
Thanks for reading!