Xander was not having a good morning like he thought he would. It was supposed to be his special day, finally getting to select his first Pokémon and go on an adventure like every teenager his age wants to do. However, he couldn't sleep last night due to his excitement and therefore found it extremely hard to get up this morning.

Not only that, he had to listen to the annoying sound of his friend throwing rocks at his window.

He rolled over in annoyance and opened the window. Staring down at his friend, who waved to him in return.

"Come on man!" shouted the boy. "We only have an hour before the professor said to come and you still need to get ready!"

Xander gave him an annoyed look. "Not everyone takes as long as you, Finn. Especially not when you decided to wear that outfit."

Finn looked down at his black and orange tail coat. "What are you talking about, it's a vintage outfit! You just don't know about style!"

"The goggles are a bit much. The fingerless gloves as well. Everyone's going to mistake you for a gym leader instead of a wannabe."

Finn shot him a glare and pulled out another rock from his pocket. Xander's eyes widened as he ducked, the stone nearly missing his head and landing on his bed.

Finn gave a laugh and bolted, leaving Xander to shake his fist angrily at his retreating figure.

Xander sighed and rolled off his bed, blinking away his sleep. He looked at his alarm clock and sighed. Why did the professor insist on them getting their Pokémon so early? On any normal day, he'd would've woken up an hour later, along with everyone else in his house.

He hurriedly showered, brushed his teeth, and went back into his room to pick out some clothing. He stuffed some simple spare clothes into his backpack and considered what to wear for right now.

Despite what he said about Finn's attire, he knew he should at least wear something cool in order to cement his status as a trainer. But nothing too stereotypical, right?

He pulled on a white shirt and wore a gray jacket with a black fancy pokéball design on the back. He grabbed a pair of jeans and wore those as well.

He looked at himself in the mirror, making sure he looked professional. As a finishing touch, he grabbed the navy blue cap his dad got him on his last birthday. The one his mother didn't like because it apparently didn't match his hair.

Fortunately, she wouldn't be awake by the time he left. Not that he had anything against his mother, she could just be a bit controlling at times. He'd just call her later, explain why he had to leave so early, and apologize. It wouldn't be a big deal anyways, especially since she was like him at his age. His dad just loved telling stories of their time in highschool before they eventually got married many years later.

Satisfied with his look, he put on his backpack and gave himself a once over in the mirror. He opened the door to his room and quietly moved down the stairs, not wanting to disturb anyone.

He made his way to the kitchen through the dining room, wondering what to eat. He was pulled out of his thoughts however when he heard someone clear their throat, causing him to stop dead in his tracks.

"Going somewhere, young sir?" asked his mother.

He turned around to face where the voice came from, flashing a sheepish smile.

"Hi mom, I was just going to grab breakfast before I set out," he said, ducking his head down.

"Nuh uh," said his mom, reaching for his head. "Not with that cap on, how many times did I tell you that hat didn't compliment your wonderful hair?"

Of course she'd say that, it was her genes he'd inherited that gave him her hair color. Knowing what came next, he sighed in resignation and put the cap on the table.

"Fine, I'll wear it."

"I'll put it on for you this time, not like you put it on properly anyways," she said as she removed a headband from her pocket. "Don't think I didn't see where you hid it by the way."

He hated wearing the headband, and his mother knew that.

"See, if only your father listened and got you a haircut," she said as she pushed his hair past his forehead and used the headband to secure it. "You wouldn't have to be wearing this."

"But what's wrong with having long hair anyways?" he protested. "Finn has long hair, yet no one seems to have a problem with it!"

"That's because his hair stands straight up like a respectable young man. Only girls are allowed to have long hair past their eyes."

Xander sighed. "Fine, whatever."

"You say that now," said his mom, crossing her arms. "But you're going to remove it at the first chance you get."

Xander smiled. "So what's the point of making me wear it then?"

"I have to embarass you as much as possible before you inevitably leave and refuse to answer my calls. I made breakfast for you, saved for this special day."

Xander couldn't hide his excitement. His mother typically didn't have enough time to make breakfast due to her very demanding job as a Pokémon nurse. "Thank you! What kind is it?"

"Why don't you see for yourself?"

He went to the kitchen and immediately saw a covered platter. Opening it, he saw a large steaming waffle with bits of berry inside. Immediately recognizing what kind, he turned to his mother in surprise.

"We had bluk berries in the house? Why didn't you tell me?"

"If I had told you, I wouldn't have any to put in your waffles."

"Fair point," he said, picking up the plate.

"No thank you hug?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"I'm too old for that," he said. "But you know I love you and appreciate you. Except for when you try to get me to wear that ugly red headband."

"Keep talking like that. We'll see who's going to make you a welcome home dinner."

He laughed and sat down at the table. He checked the clock, he still had about thirty minutes. Finn could wait.

Just then, there was a quiet knock on the door. Xander frowned, it was barely seven o'clock. If it was Finn at the door, he'd just let himself in rather than knocking.

His mother went to get the door. It was probably one of the neighbors wanting to congratulate him or something. He shrugged and resumed eating his waffles, it probably didn't matter to him.

"Yeah he's home," said his mother from the doorway. Xander couldn't hear the person who was speaking at the door, so he stopped chewing and tried to listen in.

"He's eating breakfast right now. No he won't mind, come on in!"

He heard the person say thank you as they walked into the house. His heart stopped as he recognized the voice, dread filling him from head to toe.

"Good morning Xander! How are you doing today?" asked the girl standing in front of him.

Green hair with a long braid in the back, black shirt with a yellow bow, matching skirt and leggings. The description unfortunately checked out. Which now begged the question. Why the heck did his mother let Ivy into the house?

"Ooh, those look tasty," she said, pointing at the plate. "Can I have some?"

Xander shot her a glare and moved his plate. "No."

She either wasn't unfazed by his sharp rebuke, or didn't pick up on his annoyance.

"That's fine, I'm too excited to eat anyways," she said, hopping from one foot to the other. "Guess what surprising thing is happening today?"

Xander caught a look from his mother in the corner of his eye. Sighing, he held back his sarcastic remark and forced a smile. "I don't know, what is it?"

"I'm going to get my first Pokémon along with you!"

That was surprising, so surprising in fact that Xander choked on his food in surprise, unable to formulate an intelligent response.

Ivy rushed to his side. "Xander! Are you okay?"

He waved her away and coughed a few times before composing himself enough to speak.

"What did you say?" he shouted, causing her to jump.

"I asked if you were okay," she said, slightly confused.

This girl was very dense. "No, before that," he said, forcing down his waffles.

Ivy's excitement returned. "I'm getting a Pokémon alongside you!"

"Aren't you still fifteen?" he said, growing indignant. "Why do you get your Pokémon before the rest of us?"

"Well," she said, swaying eagerly. "I talked to the professor yesterday about how you guys were close to my age group, yet I wouldn't be able to travel out with you guys because I was two months behind. So after talking about it, he agreed it's be better if all three of us could head out at the same time instead of me trailing behind a few months later. Isn't it great?"

Xander sighed. It was always poor Ivy this poor Ivy that. So what if she moved into the small town of Novellia with only her mother who was barely around to take care of her? She was intrusive, incessant, insufferable, ignorant, immature, and a lot more adjectives.

"I know," said Ivy. "Let's head to the professor's lab together!"

"I'm good, I'll just catch up later."

"But it's more fun if we go together. And it looks like you're fully ready, you've eaten breakfast, and you have all your things."

Oh, now the girl could figure stuff out.

"That's a wonderful idea," cut in his mother, walking into the dining room. "Finn's going to be here any moment now, so all three of you can walk to the professor."

Ivy's face seemed to fall a bit at the mention of Finn, but she quickly perked up and nodded.

"You're right. The more the merrier!"

Xander grated his teeth, the sound of Ivy's voice was annoying itself. Now he had to walk to the professor's office with her non-stop talking. What fun.

They all went to the front door so Xander could put on his shoes, that's when he noticed Ivy was still wearing her's, something his mother usually would never allow. Before Xander could point this out, the front door opened wildly, hitting the door stopper and bouncing back to the person who opened it.

Finn caught the door and leapt inside, his boots causing dust to explode everywhere.

"What's taking you so long! I've already become the champion and-"

That's when he noticed everyone at the door, including Ivy. "Oh hi, are we having a seeing off party or something?"

"Nope!" said Ivy. "I'm coming along with you guys!"

Finn paused. "Aren't you too- nevermind. Doesn't matter! Hey Xander, is your dad awake?"

"No, he's coming later. You know how he likes to sleep in."

"I thought he'd wake up earlier considering what today is. Welp, can't be helped! Got everything? I see you're wearing your headband," he added with a snicker. "Guess you do have everything!"

"Be quiet. Why don't you wear it and see how great you look?"

"Nah, it suits you better."

"I agree," said Ivy. "It's very pretty on you. And it matches you very well."

Finn and Xander both shared a look as Xander's mom patted Ivy on the shoulder.

"See," she said. "Girls understand style better than you two ever could."

"Right," said Finn, giving Xander a funny look. "Anyways we should get going! We have a ten minute walk to the lab and twenty minutes before the professor cancels this entire thing. Let's go already!"

He grabbed Xander by the arm and practically pulled him through the door, Ivy following after them. Xander's mom waved them goodbye with a laugh.

"Such energy!" she called after them. "And you'd think you boys were on time for anything. I'll see you soon, don't leave without letting me say goodbye!"

"We won't!" all three of them shouted.


"They're just so many Pokémon to choose from!" said Ivy, dancing around as they walked. "I have no idea which one I should choose! I want to choose the cutest one, but they're all so cute! I love cute Pokémon."

"I already know what Pokémon I'm picking," said Finn. "Piplup is going to be my choice! Have you guys ever seen an Empoleon before? It's epic!"

"Of course I know what an Empoleon is," said Xander. "It's all you've been talking about for the past week. I-"

"I'm sure it's a cool Pokémon. Xander, which Pokémon are you going to pick?"

Xander looked at her. "I was just getting to that. Maybe wait for me to finish next time."

"Okay," she said, pouting a bit. "But what is it?"

"I'm thinking of choosing a fire type Pokémon. Because they're typically the strongest and flashiest Pokémon."

"And yet you say my attire is goofy," said Finn. "And what's good is something bright and burning when my Empoleon will extinguish it?"

"But you forget, Empoleon's a part steel type. Which means that it doesn't resist fire anymore."

"Ha!" shouted Finn, pausing and striking a pose, dramatically pointing a finger at him. I don't need to resist your attacks! My Empoleon, and the rest of my Pokémon, are going to be so powerful that they'll tank your attacks and wipe out your team before you can even say you surrender. I'll be the most powerful Pokémon trainer in the world! I'll climb up to champion level so fast you'll be left behind in my dust storm!"

"Oh yeah?" challenged Xander. "I'll build the perfect Pokémon team, one that can't be defeated! I'll be able to counter anything anyone throws at me, and once I really get famous, I'll have the title as the undefeatable trainer!"

"Only to lose to me of course," said Finn.

"I-I'm going to be a powerful Pokémon trainer too!" declared Ivy. "You guys can't leave me behind!"

"You wanna bet?" asked Finn, a smile spreading on his face. "I could leave both of you behind right now."

"Right now?" asked Ivy.

With that, Finn suddenly broke into a sprint, Ivy and Xander were slow to react as Finn quickly ran down the path to the professor's lab.

"You're already eating my dust now! Just wait until we get our Pokémon!"

Xander chased after him, Ivy following behind him. "You little- keep laughing for now! Your head start doesn't guarantee victory!"


.

"Haha!" shouted Finn, punching the air victoriously as he reached the door of the lab. "What were you saying, Xander?"

Xander didn't respond as he hunched over, taking deep breaths. He shook his head, staring at Finn.

"How do you run in those boots?"

"Because I'm just that good," said Finn with a laugh.

"You guys are so fast," said Ivy as she walked up the hill that led to the lab. "I couldn't keep up. But maybe it's my shoes, they're not really sporty."

"You should see this guy!" said Xander. "He's wearing boots!"

Ivy looked down at Finn's boots. "Those are actually pretty easy to run in, just by looking at them."

Xander gave her a look as the exhilaration wore off and his annoyance settled back in. "Okay, Expert."

"But these are boots," said Finn.

Ivy and Finn both laughed as Xander silently fumed. He hated being the subject of a joke. Sighing heavily, he walked up to the door and pressed the bell.

"Hey!" said Finn, snapping to attention. "Trying to get your first Pokémon before me?"

"Not really, because I don't need a head start-"

He was interrupted at that moment by the door opening. A woman in her late twenties stood at the door, clutching a stack of papers. She had reddish blond hair that was tied neatly into a bun, a few stray strands of hair resting next to her glasses. She wore a professional white lab coat and gray trousers.

"Hi Dr. Flores!" said Finn.

"Hi kids! You two must be-" she then noticed Ivy was among the group. "Hi darling. Are all three of you getting your first Pokémon or are you here to hang out again?"

"She's a late addition," said Xander dismissively. "Don't mind her."

"Okay," she said, still a bit confused. "Either way, it's good that you're all here. However, the professor is a bit busy right now so he'll be with you in a few minutes. Come inside, you can wait in the reception area."

They walked inside the lab, taking their seats on the few metal chairs in the reception area. The lab itself was small, and the reception area was empty. There was a desk where Dr. Flores worked, two doors leading to two separate wings of the lab, and six chairs.

"What's the professor up to?" asked Ivy.

"I really couldn't tell you," said Dr. Flores. "He has so much going on, it's hard to keep track."

"But isn't that your job as his assistant?" asked Finn.

"Don't get cheeky with me,"she said. "I'm his only assistant, it gets extremely difficult to keep track and organize all of his countless research notes. Why don't you three sit quietly and wait. I can't be disturbed right now. We unfortunately don't have any magazines for you to read, this isn't a doctor's office."

Not wanting to annoy her any further. The three teenagers all sat in silence, unsure of what to do. Finn and Xander kept glancing at the clock, feeling the seconds pass by as minutes. Only Ivy looked comfortable, twiddling her thumbs and humming to herself.

After an agonizing three minutes, the professor finally walked in. He was wearing jeans and a sweater vest in a much more casual manner compared to his assistant. He wore reflective glasses that prevented people from seeing his eyes, and had short blond hair that was starting to gray.

"Four minutes early," he sighed, speaking in a dry voice. "As if I have nothing better to do."

Finn raised his hand. "But the early bird-"

"No, it doesn't," said the professor. "In reality, most Pokémon like Wurmple and Weedle don't wake up early in the morning. But I'm not going to waste my time arguing with children who haven't spent most of their lives studying Pokémon. You want to be trainers, yes?"

"Of course!" said Xander, waking up from his reception chair stupor. "I have to get started as soon as I can so I can become a powerful and famous Pokémon trainer!"

The professor gave a dramatic sigh. "That's what they all say. Such overambitious goals. I don't know a single person from this Arceus-forsaken town that actually became a noteworthy trainer. But then again. How many kids have started their journey from this little town?"

"Four!" said Finn. "Not including us."

"It's called a rhetorical question, Finn," said the professor, walking away and motioning for them to follow. "You have too much energy. I'm guessing you also want to be a 'powerful trainer'?"

Finn paused for a moment, unsure whether or not he should answer the question. "I'm gonna be a Pokémon Champion, Professor Montgomery! Just you wait!"

"It's 'I'm going to be a Pokémon Champion,' not gonna," corrected Professor Montomery. "And just call me professor. I'm the only one around for miles."

"Who took his coffee?" muttered Xander.

"He's always like this," said Ivy. "He doesn't mean it."

"How would you know?"

"I spend a lot of time in his lab. Just hanging out."

Xander didn't say anything. She mostly likely stayed in the lab to escape her household. No wonder Dr. Flores was being so friendly.

They walked into Professor Montgomery's office. It was an extremely neat room with bookshelves lining three of the walls. The professor's desk was completely empty, with all of his files stored in a file cabinet attached to his desk. Prepared were three chairs, where all three future trainers sat down at.

"I'm going to be honest with you," said the professor, reaching into his filing cabinet and producing three forms. "Becoming an official trainer is a very simple process. Since I already have parental permission, you need to fill out these forms, have your ID photos taken, receive your first Pokémon, and then have your IDs printed."

"That's it?" asked Xander.

Professor Montgomery looked at him. "Of course not. There is so much detail to go over, especially since you have a job to do once you become a trainer."

He saw the surprised looks on Finn and Xander's faces and rolled his eyes.

"What, you thought you were becoming trainers for free? Well guess what, becoming a licensed trainer usually costs money. But since this is a small town with a small population, why not have kids do favors for me and collect research data. But of course kids aren't reliable and we have to give them every minute detail. If that didn't take long enough, why not throw in a celebration ceremony? Because this isn't the city. Just fill out these forms and I'll handle the rest."

Pulling out three pens, he handed them to the children and pulled out his laptop.

"Tell me when you finish. Rebecca will take your photos, and then I'll take you to receive your first Pokémon. You'll get your official IDs while I'm explaining your future job. Now stay quiet and don't disturb me."


After filling the forms, Dr. Flores had taken the children to an empty whitewashed room, where she had taken their pictures with a small camera. Afterwards, she put the children in a larger room and told them to wait for Professor Montgomery and not touch anything.

The room they were in had a large computer monitor taking up one of the walls. Against another wall was a machine for keeping large amounts of pokéballs, and the last wall was another storage for files.

Other than those main pieces of office furniture, the room was filled with space and devoid of objects. This made sense, seeing as this is where the Pokémon were kept, they needed to be space for them to romp about.

"Where is the professor?" asked Finn after about two minutes of waiting, hopping from foot to foot. "The anticipation is killing me!"

"I just wish there was somewhere we could sit," said Xander. "Preferably, not on the floor."

Finn walked over to the pokéball machine, looking through the glass windows at the rows of pokéballs, all waiting for a future trainer.

"One of these pokéballs contains my future partner. We're going to go on adven-"

"I believe Rebecca gave you strict instructions not to touch anything," said the professor, walking into the room.

Finn leapt away from the machine in surprise, turning around to face the professor.

"I was only looking! I didn't touch anything! Right guys?"

Xander and Ivy nodded. The professor sighed and shook his head.

"Kids, I can't trust them to be in a room by themselves. Is breathing on something any better than touching it? Look up at the screen."

They all obediently turned to face the screen as the professor typed some things on a keyboard connected to the pokéball machine. The screen lit up with power as it displayed twenty-seven different Pokémon.

"The pokéballs I have presented to you are labeled one through twenty-seven, each corresponding to a Pokémon on screen. You may already be familiar with these Pokémon as the standard beginner Pokémon from many different regions, but not us of course. For some reason we don't have our own. Once you decide on your partner in crime, I'll register its pokéball to your new trainer ID. SImple, right?"

"You couldn't have explained it better professor!" said Finn. "And I've already decided on my Pokémon. I choose number twelve, Piplup!"

The professor raised his eyebrows. "So, you've already decided?"

"Yup! A long time ago!"

"Good job for not wasting my time," said the professor. "Have you two also decided?"

"Not yet," said Ivy.

Xander looked up at the screen, staring at the various fire types. Some looked basic, he wanted one that stood out to him.

"Are you going to respond or just stare at the screen?" asked the professor.

He picked out a cool looking Pokémon and looked at the other Pokémon. Coming to a decision, he looked at the professor.

"Number five, Cyndaquil."

The professor nodded, and then looked over to Ivy.

"Well, if Finn chose a water type, and Xander a fire type. I guess that means I should pick a grass type!"

The professor looked at her. "Actually, it doesn-"

"I choose number 25, Sprigattito! Its eyes are adorable."

"Are you sure these are the Pokémon you want?" asked the professor. "Not that it matters which one I give out, common courtesy."

All three trainers nodded. The professor wordlessly went to the machine and punched in a passcode, pulling out three pokéballs before closing the machine again.

"Here you go," said the professor, passing out the pokéballs. "I'll be back in a few minutes," he said as he started leaving the room. "Take the time to get familiar with your new partners."

The moment the professor left, all three of them opened their pokéballs. Meeting their partners for the first time.

The moment Ivy saw her new Sprigattito, she squealed in excitement, startling everyone else in the room.

"Look at how cute you are!" she shouted, picking up the Sprigattio and hugging it close to her face. "You're even cuter in real life than in the picture! And you smell so nice."

The Sprigattito seemed a bit threatened and uncomfortable with the cuddling. It tried to squirm away from her, but failed miserably. Realizing there was no other option, it contented herself in Ivy's hug, albeit grumpily.

Meanwhile, Finn's Piplup regarded Finn cautiously, seeing what had happened to Sprigatitto. Finn crouched down and faced his Piplup, a smile on his face.

"Hi there buddy! We're going to be friends from now on! You and I, we'll dominate the world! We'll be an unstoppable duo, the greatest trainers in the world!"

He extended a hand to his Piplup. "You with me?"

His Piplup stared at him, slightly confused by Finn's wild energy. It looked at his outstretched hand, and then back up at him.

"Aw," said Finn. "Don't look at me like that. It'll be fun! We'll do so many things together! We'll go on adventures, fight battles, try out lots of food, the possibilities are endless!"

And the mention of food and battle, his Piplup perked up. Stretching himself out, it put its flipper into its trainer's hand, allowing Finn to shake its flipper vigorously.

"We're officially a pair!" declared Finn. "Watch out world! Finn and his Piplup are taking the scene!"

Xander on the other hand, was having no such luck with his Pokémon. His Cyndaquil had ignored him as soon as he sent him out. Any attempt to socialize with the Pokémon ended up with a dismissive snort.

"Come on, you're going to be my partner whether you like it or not," Xander said, starting to get annoyed.

His Cyndaquil didn't respond. He extended a hand to touch the Pokémon, only for the flames on its back to light up, nearly burning his hand.

"Woah!" shouted Finn, watching as the blaze lit up the room. "That's quite a Pokemon! You know what this means?"

Xander wanted to decline, but he didn't want to show FInn that he couldn't handle his new Pokémon.

"You bet. I challenge you to a Pokémon battle!"

Finn glared at him. "I was going to say that. Let's do this Piplup, Pound!"

"Cyndaquil, use Tackle!"

Xander's Cyndaquil didn't budge as the Piplup came charging forward. Realizing that the Piplup intended to do damage, the Cyndaquil leapt out of the way, avoiding the attack.

"Now attack with Ember!" shouted Xander.

His Cyndaquil still didn't listen, deciding to sit back instead as the Piplup turned around to face him.

"Tough luck," said FInn with a shrug. "Piplup, use-"

"Staging Pokémon battles already?" said the professor, walking in with a box. "This is not a gym, nor is this an arena. I have expensive machinery in this room and I will not have two impatient teenagers ruining stuff. I know for a fact that one thing in this room costs more than all the money you've ever had in your life, from beginning to now. Don't make me regret my decision."

"Sorry professor," mumbled Finn and Xander. Xander pulled out his pokéball and returned his Cyndaquil. Finn on the other hand picked his Piplup off the ground and held him in his arms.

"As you know, I am afflicted with being old. Meaning of course, I can't go out and travel around, collecting data and finding Pokémon. Instead, I sit around in my lab, minimizing disturbances and processing data instead."

"So this is where we come in," said Finn, his eyes sparkling. "You want us to go on the adventure for you! Catching Pokémon and filling out our own pokédexes!"

The professor looked at him. "In summary, yes. However, there's a lot more to my job than simply registering Pokémon in your pokédex. There's battle data to collect, notes to write, daily summaries, I'll explain everything in detail in a twenty minute seminar in my office."

With that, he motioned for the children to follow him out the door. Before he exited the room, he turned around to Ivy.

"Ivy, do your Pokémon a favor and try not to suffocate it."


The seminar had been boring, especially since the professor refused to listen to any questions, instead droning on in his monotonous and dry voice. Xander's time had been spent wondering what was going on with his Cyndaquil.

Not like he needed to listen to the professor anyways. Finn had pretty much summed it up. The only new information given to him was the fact he had to check in with the professor daily about how his starter Pokémon is doing, how many Pokémon he's scanned with the pokédex, data on where he encountered Pokémon and how they battle, so on and so forth. He'd be paying attention to things like that anyways, considering he'd need lots of information to become the ultimate trainer.

But now, his Cyndaquil. The Pokémon had been defiant from the very beginning. How was he supposed to be a powerful Pokémon trainer if he couldn't get his Pokémon to do anything?

"Hey Xander," said Finn, waving a hand in his face. "You look like you've been transported somewhere else. What's up?"

Xander shook his head. "Nothing, don't worry about it. Focus on our ceremony."

They were walking to the edge of town, where they would have a small ceremony at the edge of the exit leading to Route 1. They're wouldn't be a lot of people attending, just their parents, a few of the townsfolk, and of course, the professor. Who made it to every ceremony despite his apparent dislike for them.

"You're right!" said Finn. "I can't wait to show my parents my new partner!"

"Yeah," said Xander, with less enthusiasm. "My mom can't wait."

Ivy didn't say anything, instead looking a bit sullen. Her Sprigattito looked up at her from her arms, giving a concerned mewl.

"I'm okay, thank you."

Xander looked over at her, feeling a bit jealous. Her Sprigattio had quickly warmed up to her, becoming friendly and more comfortable with Ivy's crushing hugs. Same went for Finn's Piplup, which seemed to have as much energy as Finn now that the two had become a pair.

As they left the heart of the town, where all the buildings were, they crested a short incline and saw around ten people gathered near the exit. A small collapsible stage had been set up where the professor would speak.

There was the sound of a horn behind them, causing all three trainers to turn around. Behind them was a small car, containing the professor and Rebecca at the wheel.

"Don't be late," said the professor as the car passed by, slowing down a little. "I don't need my time wasted anymore than it needs to be."

"Was that really necessary?" asked Xander as the car went by. "We get the memo already, he doesn't like kids."

"I'm starting to doubt what you're saying about him not meaning it," said Finn, looking at Ivy.

She shrugged. "Maybe he's just feeling his age today."


The time had come, the professor was standing on top of the preset stage, a small crowd gathered in front of him.

The crowd clapped and cheered as Ivy, Finn, and Xander walked onto the stage. Among the crowd were Finn's and Xander's parents, various community members, and the town's elected mayor. The mayor however, was only there to attend.

"Welcome everyone," said the professor into a microphone, walking across the stage as he greeted the crowd. "To our third town ceremony. As you may or may not know, I am holding this speech to congratulate three young people as they are now officially Pokémon trainers!"

He paused as the audience clapped and cheered, Xander's dad wiping a tear from his eye, only for his wife to elbow his side.

"As you may remember," continued the professor. "I came to this town almost twenty-five years ago, to escape the big city and conduct more field research. Since then, I've grown much older and am now stuck in my lab. But none of that really matters. What does matter is that I was happily accepted into this community by truly fabulous people. I have everything I did in the big city and more, namely friendly interactions. In order to show my appreciation, I started a tradition that's conducted in many other regions. One where young and capable kids are given the opportunity most children dream of. To receive a beginner Pokémon and go on an adventure, filling out Pokémon Indexes and becoming the very best."

"A journey like this has many benefits, both for character development and physical health. As a common saying goes. 'If your kids spend too much time indoors, give them a Pokémon, and you'll have trouble getting them back inside. Just don't get them a license, then coming inside on a daily basis becomes an option'."

There was a ripple of laughter throughout the crowd at this remark. The professor smiled and motioned for the crowd to settle down.

"But of course, there must come a time where a child matures into an adult, as we all did. There's a time when a child must leave the nest and explore the world on their own in order to learn what it takes to truly live. That's why I present these three future trainers, so we can wish them a fruitful and immersive journey through the next chapter of their lives!"

Ivy, Finn, and Xander stepped forward on stage, their Pokémon with them, except for Xander. His Cyndaquil refused to step forward, slinking back from the crowd.

"I must excuse myself," said the professor, stepping off the stage. "My presence is no longer needed here. Not like I want to be here anyways," he added under his breath.

"Xander!" shouted his dad as Xander stepped off the stage, the ceremony complete.

"Hi da-"

He didn't get to finish as his dad swept him into a bear hug, tousling his hair. "My son, an official Pokémon trainer! I almost can't believe it!"

"Honey," said Xander's mom, nudging him. "You wouldn't want to embarrass our fully grown son, now would you?"

"Embarrass him in front of who?" asked his dad, letting go of Xander. "Finn's parents are doing the exact same thing! Let's see that new Pokémon of yours, eh champ in the making?"

Xander gave a slightly nervous laugh. "About that, he's a bit independent so it's really up to him."

"That's right," said his mom. "You have to remember your Pokémon have feelings as well. Make sure you don't forget anything, and make a mother proud."

Xander's dad laughed. "You don't have to worry about that! Our son is going to be the next Pokémon Champion! And he's going to fill out his Pokédex, and much more!"

He placed his hands on Xander's shoulders and looked at him. "I don't want to take up too much of your time, seeing as you have an adventure to get to. Always remember, I'm proud of you, no matter what you decide to do. And- is that a Cyndaquil!"

His dad ran up to the Pokémon, trying to pick it up. The Cyndaquil leapt away from him, unwilling to be picked up by this random person.

"Don't mind him," said Xander, trying not to grit his teeth in annoyance. "He's just stand-offish, that's all. It'll take time for him to warm up to people."

"Well alright then," said his dad, stepping away from the Cyndaquil. "I'll give him time. Maybe when you visit soon. Don't let me hold you up any longer son, great adventures and many victories await you!"

His mom elbowed his dad. "Don't let his words of gentle encouragement pressure you honey," she said, a smile on her face. "Always remember to have fun alongside your Pokémon. That is the essence of being a Pokémon trainer."

"That too," agreed Xander's dad. "We love you son! You'll be a fine trainer wherever you end up in life!"

Despite all the trouble he was having with his starter Pokémon, Xander couldn't help but smile as he embraced his parents with a farewell hug. Gathering his things and returning Cyndaquil to his pokéball, he waved goodbye to his parents as he set out, making his first few steps into the world of Pokémon.