When Red was younger, it was all pretty simple to him. When he became ten years old, he would get his starter, unlock the mysteries of Pokémon, get his own lab and become a Professor. His path was laid out, and the world was just waiting for him to take it.
He always said as much when with his peers and it wasn't any different at Professor Oak's Summer Camp.
Professor Oak was a renowned professor known especially for his study of Pokémon Habitats. He became the region's main professor and was one of the few tasked with guiding new trainers towards their journeys by gifting them with their starter Pokémon and their Pokédex.
However, because of the influx of children wanting to be trainers and receive a starter, the professors had to find a way to select the best and most deserving of the bunch. And thus, Professor Oak created the Summer Camp.
On the outside it was just a summer school for aspiring trainers to interact and learn more about Pokémon. For Professor Oak, it was the perfect way to observe and choose the right children to make further trainers without having to visit every school in the region.
The old man took a sip of his coffee, and smiled at the rich taste of the coffee beans. He wonders what kind of interesting future trainers he'll meet today.
/
"And try to make some friends, okay?"
Red fixed his bag strap while giving his mom a look. "Mom, Blue will be there." He said matter-of-factly.
"You need to make more friends than just Blue Red. He'll also make other friends too." His mother messed with his hair a little before looking him in the eyes.
Red stared right back at her,"Mom, we're best friends. We'll still have each other even if he makes other friends."
His mother inhaled, seemingly ready to argue but just smiled at the last minute, losing her fight. "Just..." She ran her hand through his hair again. "Just try okay?"
She sounded so pleading that Red couldn't help but sigh. "Fine." He glanced up at her,"I'll try to make one friends. But I'm not making any promises."
She smiled,"That's all I ask." She kissed him on the forehead before rising to her full height.
"Hey Red!"
A boy Red's age with brown hair and brown eyes ran up to the two. He had an eager grin on his face with a yellow pikachu design backpack strapped to his back and was dragging a large black suitcase behind him.
"Hey Blue." Red greeted and reciprocated the fist bump Blue offered to him. Blue looked up at his mom. "Hey Ms. Ketchum." He grinned wider,"You don't have to worry about Red. I'll make sure that he gets in no trouble."
As the two began to giggle, Red's smile fell. "Hey, I should be saying that about you."
His annoyance only grew when the two ignored him. His mother wished them a good summer and told them to be safe before walking off all while Blue told her they'd be alright.
After she left their sights, Blue turned to him. "Okay Red, you ready for this?"
Red felt his previous annoyance disappear and be replaced with excitement, suddenly reminded of where they were and why they were here.
He grinned back at his friend,"As ready as I'll ever be."
/
By the time noon rolled around, everyone had arrived and were being ushered into their respective cabins.
The camp was split into the West Side and the East side by the big, main building. On each side there were fifteen cabins, with each having three children inhabiting them. Blue and Red were on the East Side in the 7th cabin.
"I call this bed." Blue dropped his bag on the bed for good measure. Red silently claimed the one beside it, dragging his suitcase to sit at the foot of the bed.
"I wonder who's gonna stay here with us." Blue said as he glanced at the third unoccupied bed.
Red shrugged, then turned around to open his suit case and begin unpacking. "I don't know. I just hope it's not Kevin." He shuddered a little as he thought about the boy.
Blue gave his own scowl of disgust. "That pervert." He seemed to almost spit the title.
Red opened his mouth to speak when a knock came from the door. Blue moved to answer it but before he could take more than two steps, it opened on its own.
As the door swung open, a girl with long brown hair was revealed. Her head was covered by a white bucket hat but Red could see that her hair was slightly messy underneath. Red guessed that she didn't have much time to get here. She had dark brown eyes that were currently darting between Blue and Red nervously.
Blue out his hand on his cocked hip. "Are you our third cabin mate? You're new right? I ain't never seen you at camp before." He pointed out with a small grin.
The girl nodded lightly and bowed her head a little. "Yeah, I just moved here to Pallet from Hoenn last week. My parents figured I could attend camp while they settle us in."
Blue whistled. "Hoenn. Fancy."
Red ignored his friend to peer curiously at the girl. "What's your name?" He asked.
The girl perked up. "Oh, my name's Yellow."
Blue and Red glanced at each other simultaneously, both getting a weird sense of deja vu. Yellow looked between them almost worriedly. "What? Is something wrong?"
Red turned to her to shake his head in denial with a smile. He walked up to her and offered a handshake, one she accepted. "Nice to meet you. I'm Red."
Blue pointed to himself with a thumb. "And I'm Blue."
Yellow looked at them with a slacked jaw in disbelief. "You're also-"
"Named after colors?" Red interrupted her with a raised eyebrow. He chuckled,"Yeah."
She suddenly got an eager look in her eyes and she looked at both of them. "If it's possible, can I also-?"
This time the door opened without any warning and one of the camp's supervisors popped her head in. "Oh? Still doing introductions? You're way behind."
"It's already time for assembly?"
Red briefly checked the clock on the wall to see that it was indeed time for all the campers to gather.
The supervisor reconfirmed this with her own nod,"Why yes of course! Come on now, you don't wanna be late." She left the door open behind her, sure that they were following.
Red turned to Yellow,"You can get settled in later. We'll get in trouble if we miss this."
Yellow nodded and followed the two silently.
/
The assembly hall was almost full by the time the three arrived. They were weaving through the crowd to get to their assigned spots. Red glanced behind him to see Yellow falling behind. He extended a hand to her and when she took it, used it to pull her forward.
She sighed in relief,"Thanks."
Red shook his head, silently saying that it was no problem and raised his left hand to show his and Blue's conjoined hands. "It's easier to not get lost."
She nodded and kept her grip all the way until they reached their seats.
"Greetings, students and future trainers, educators and esteemed guests."
Everyone's attention shifted to the stage where Professor Oak stood. He stood behind a mic, hands folded behind him with a serene smile on his face.
"For those of you who don't know me, I am Professor Oak, professor of the Kanto Region and I welcome you all to the Pokémon Summer Camp, where we take training and learning to the next level! As your principal and a fellow Pokémon enthusiast, I am thrilled to be standing before you today to kick off a new academic semester of adventure, growth and fun."
The hall remained quiet with the exception of a few cheers. The man waited until they calmed down before he cleared his throat and continued.
"Let me begin by wishing you a warm welcome to our returning students, who I know will continue to amaze us with their skills and passion for Pokémon. Also, welcome to our new students! You're in for a wild ride, and I guarantee you will love every minute of it."
Red noticed Yellow gulping with a pale look on her face. He nudged her with his elbow and gave her an encouraging but confident smile. She smiled hesitantly back. Red turned on back to the speech where the Professor was explaining the goals of the camp.
"Our camp is not just about academics, we are committed to developing a community of trainers who share a passion and love for Pokémon. We hope you make lifelong friends, to learn from each other and grow together, even engaging in friendly rivalries that push us to greater heights."
He gestured to the line of teachers at his sides who each gave their own curt nod or friendly wave.
"Now, I want you to remember that our faculty includes some of the greatest trainers in the world, who are here to teach you everything you need to know about becoming a good trainer. They have years of experience, skill, and expertise that they are eager to share with you."
Professor Oak returned to his previous position, with his hands behind his back.
"As we begin this new academic year, I want you all to keep one thing in mind." He spread out his arms,"Have fun!" He began nodding a little, seemingly agreeing with unsaid opinions,"Sure, you're here to learn and grow as trainers, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy this journey. So, take advantage of all the resources and facilities our camp has to offer, from the wide spread landscape to the vast library of Pokémon knowledge. And remember, it's not about winning or losing, it's about the experiences we have, the challenges we overcome, and the bonds we form with Pokémon and each other."
Professor Oak smiled softly. "I know some of you may be nervous about soon starting your path as trainers. But let me tell you, there's nothing to fear! Our camp is a welcoming and supportive environment for you all to be yourselves and pursue your dreams. And if you ever need someone to talk to or just want to chat about Pokémon, don't hesitate to come to me. I'm always happy to lend an ear or a high-five, depending on the situation. With that said, let's get this academic semester started! I can't wait to see all the amazing things you will accomplish and the friendships you will forge along the way. Thank you and have a Poke-tastic day!"
/
Yellow walked in between Red and Blue, falling in step with them as they strolled to who-knows-where.
"Professor Oak's speech was amazing." Yellow said in whispered awe. Red shook his head in amused awe,"I just don't know how he manages to come up with a new one every single year. He's saying the same things but manages to sound inspiring every time." Blue nodded from her left, walking with his fingers intertwined behind his head,"That's gramps for you."
Yellow looked to him,"Gramps?"
Blue grinned at her. "Yeah. The old man is my grandpa. Professor Oak, Blue Oak."
Yellow gazed at him in envy before looking away. "That must be so nice." She said before she could stop herself. She quickly whipped around to hurriedly take back her statement.
"I didn't mean it like-"
Blue stopped her with a dismissive wave of his arm. "Naw, it's fine." He laughed,"I can't even lie to you. For all downsides to it, it's still pretty nice."
Yellow tilted her head,"Downsides?"
"The expectations."
The girl's head turned to the right to face Red. He continued his explanation while walking.
"That's the downside. You'd think he'd have everything, coming from such a background. But while he does have money and food and the latest gadgets, other things are hard too. For one, Blue is planning to become a battler."
Blue grinned widely,"The best there is too."
Red smiled,"His grandpa and his father were both Champions. So it's only natural that he became one too right?" Red shook his head in amusement. "He could even beat all the gyms in a month of getting his Pokémon but people will still chalk it up to his lineage."
Yellow made a soft sound of sad realization. "His efforts and hard work won't ever be realized. Because they will think that it's destined right?"
Red hummed. "But imagined if he failed."
Yellow's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she waited for him to explain. But seeing as he never went to speak again, she realized he wanted her to figure it out on her own. Yellow became lost to the outside world as she thought about it, not even realizing when they took a seat at a table. When she lived in Hoenn, her mom was a journalist so Yellow was exposed to how the public responds to news from an early age despite never having an interest in them herself.
She looked up at Red who was reaching for a loaf of bread.
"They'd see it as a chance to attack him."
Red smiled at her,"That's right. They'd let their own jealousy influence them enough to attack a ten year old than actually behave like civilized human beings." He smiled though Yellow got the feeling he was feeling quite the opposite of what it showed. His next words confirmed it.
"Pretty disgusting, wouldn't you say?"
"Oi Red, stop riling yourself up over it. You always take this more seriously than I do." Blue turned to Yellow, ignoring Red's whisper that someone has to and smiled confidently at her,"Don't get too worried about that. I'm used to it already and I'll show them soon enough."
He placed an empty plate in front of her,"Eat something. You're gonna need the energy for tomorrow. The first tests are always tiring."
Yellow accepted the plate, placing some of the food from the dinner spread on it. She took a bit of a chicken sandwich, briefly thank Red as he got her a bottled juice before turning back to Blue.
"What are the first tests usually like?"
"Are you enjoying your time at the camp?"
Honestly, she would be enjoying it more if she was still in her bed. Eight o'clock is not the time to be awake on a Saturday. But she wouldn't say that, she loved her mom and didn't want to hurt her feelings.
"Yes mom." Yellow replied. "The food's great here."
Her mother rolled her eyes with a fond smile on her face. "I'm not just talking about the food Yellow. Have you made any friends?"
Yellow went to reply yes, Blue and Red coming to mind but paused. Blue and Red hadn't explicitly said they were friends. They could have been just showing her around and helping her out just to be good cabinmates. That didn't necessarily mean they wanted to be friends. Maybe they were just being kind.
Yellow sighed. This is the exact reason she never had any friends back at home. Honestly, she was such a-
"Yellow?"
"Huh?" Yellow lifted her head back up to the PC where her mom's questioning face was displayed.
"Your friends?"
Yellow chuckled nervously,"Yeah...still working on it."
Her mom gained a small frown,"Yellow, you promised you'd try."
"I am!" Yellow shouted. "I am. I am. I promised. It's just-" She sighed and rubbed her hand on her forehead. "Just give me a little time alright." She looked back to the screen with a smile,"So how's Dad doing?"
The conversation didn't finish until an hour later when both mother and daughter were caught up. Yellow sighed as she left the building, immediately making her way back to the cabin. She yawned as she neared her bed. Time for some more sleep.
As her head went to hit the pillow, the camp's bell rung.
Yellow's head plopped on her pillow as she released an annoyed grunt.
/
"Students! One and all!" Professor Oak projected his voice to the crowd. "It is my pleasure to welcome once again to the Pokémon Summer Camp! Yesterday, we met and reconnected with our fellow peers. Today, we will be connecting with Pokémon!"
The crowd interrupted with cheers. Professor Oak held up his hands and tried to get the campers to calm down. As students of all ages were each expressing their own excitement and ideas for connecting with Pokémon, it was going to take a while.
Yellow nudged Red slightly with her elbow. He hummed in question, turning to her with a corn dog halfway in his mouth.
"I've been meaning to ask." She pointed subtly to the others in front of her,"Why are there six year olds with us?"
Red shifted the food in his mouth to fill one cheek,"Cause they're middle schoolers too."
Yellow looked between them and him quickly. "Well yeah." She whispered then leaned in. "But aren't they too young? They just came out of kindergarten."
Red shrugged and he swallowed before answering. "Yeah but they're still in middle school for trainers, no? And the earlier they start to learn the better." He took another bite of his corn dog. "Fewer deaths later on."
The brown haired girl nodded. "I suppose you're right." She looked back at the crowd in front of them. "Though wouldn't it be dangerous for them to have Pokémon? I mean, back home they don't allow you to become a trainer until you're fifteen. And even then, you aren't allowed near a Pokémon unsupervised until you're thirteen."
Yellow's head snapped to Blue when his voice suddenly came from her right. She almost forgot he was sitting there.
"The trainer laws in Kanto are very different from Hoenn."
Yellow was not any less confused. "So?"
Red sat up straighter, dusting his hands off. Yellow briefly noticed him pocketing the stick of the corn dog.
"We'll tell you more about it later. Professor's telling us the first activity."
They all refocused on the stage where the Professor still stood.
"You should know that it's not easy to become friends with these creatures. It takes a lot of patience and understanding. We will be testing your skill with these traits today as you get the chance to choose a random Pokémon to assist you throughout this semester. All the Pokémon were tested individually to prioritize your safety but please don't provoke the Pokémon by pulling on their limbs or yelling at them. We've had a few cases of those in the past years and would like to have a peaceful camp."
Yellow's face scrunched in confusion. This is what she was saying before. It's obviously dangerous. So why would they allow it?
She turned to Red to say as much when he suddenly shook his head. "We can talk later Yellow." He gently nudged her with his hand to return her focus to the stage. "Focus."
Yellow turned back to the stage. Somehow in the middle of her thinking, some of the faculty had brought boxes of pokeballs at the corners of the crowd and the students were already inching towards them.
"Go on!" Professor Oak spread out his arms,"Choose your Pokémon!"
Students rushed to grab a pokeball. Blue took her hand,"Come on, let's go get one." He started leading her towards the nearest box. Yellow grabbed Red's hand in turn as they started to move so he didn't get lost.
As they reached the box, Blue took one out of the box immediately.
"You didn't even hesitate." Red also grabbed one. Blue looked at him with a grin,"Neither did you." Red just shrugged, not bothering to deny.
Blue then turned to Yellow. "Go on, pick one. It's better to actually have a choice than just getting the leftovers."
Yellow looked as more students came and chose a pokeball and she nodded before picking her own.
The students were hushed and ushered to their seats once again by the faculty. Professor Oak was looking down at them with a smile.
"You will be tested on how well you connected with your Pokémon in the next five days and I will give out points accordingly. Now, I know you all are eager to meet the Pokémon so run along now children." He waved as the students eagerly left the main cabin's assembly hall. "See you tomorrow."
/
The trio had made their way to their cabin to meet the Pokémon in a less crowded place. Red and Blue eagerly lifting their pokeballs, ready to release the mysterious Pokémon inside when Yellow spoke up.
"So about the age thing..."
Blue paused and raised an eyebrow with a smile,"You're still on about that? We haven't even met our Pokémon yet."
Yellow's face flushed red and she pouted,"You guys said you were gonna tell me though."
Red sighed but lowered his hand. "I guess I did say that. Where were we in the conversation again?"
Yellow's gaze become focused as she stood straighter. "Blue was telling me about the laws in Kanto and why trainers are so young here."
Red made a sound of remembrance and placed his hand on his chin as he nodded slowly. "Right. Why are trainers still allowed to be so young if they are dying right?"
Yellow nodded silently with wide eyes.
Red put his hands on his hips. "It's simple. They want us to die." He ignored Yellow's gasp as he put his hand on his chin again with squinted eyes,"Or more like they're hoping we would." He shrugged. "Though there's been a lot more missing cases than deaths this year."
Blue glanced at Yellow who suddenly looked pale and at Red who was still stroking his chin,"Red, I think you should have broke it to her easier."
Red shrugged.
Yellow felt her hand holding onto her own neck, the fear making it feel like she was choking,"What? Why?"
"It'll be easier to explain that way."
Yellow glared at him,"No, Red. I mean why are they trying to get us to die?"
"Overpopulation."
Yellow looked to Blue who shrugged. "Kanto has too many people moving here."
"And too many people being born here." Red added.
As Yellow looked at him with frowning brows he raised his hands in surrender,"No I mean seriously, our birth rate is crazy. People are horny over here." His expression became wondering,"I think it's the weather."
Blue flopped his weight down on the bed to sit. He began playing with his pokeball, throwing it up in the air and catching it. "Kanto's not like Hoenn. It isn't a paradise for adults to run away from children. This is literally the playground where they drop their kids off."
"And at one point we got too full." Red frowned slightly. "While other regions were increasing the age you needed to be to become a trainer, we kept ours. They introduced Summer Camps as a way for us to-" He made air quotes with his fingers. "Be more prepared for our journey, but you heard Professor Oak today, people die even at the camps. Still, no one questions it, because the government is trying their best."
Yellow's mind whirled. No one questioned it?
"Well some tried to." Her head snapped back up to Blue who was now twirling the ball on his finger. "You know, minor journalists, the occasional teenager and random people who gossip a bit too much. Some of them got too big."
Yellow gulped feeling she already knew the answer to a question she was gonna ask. "What happened to them?"
"They died."
She released a shuddered breath. "A-"She cleared her throat. "And no one questioned this?"
"No one else wanted to die." Red shrugged,"And I mean, they were subtle about it. Very natural deaths. Like you left the stove on and the house burnt down or a very unlucky day where you walked under a falling tree type of deaths. It's only suspicious in the frequency they occurred."
Blue clutched the ball in his hand,"We can't do anything. That's just the way it is. My sister died the same way."
"Oh...I'm sorry for your lost."
"Thanks." He began throwing the ball again. "I told her not to do it but she didn't listen. She was pretty determined, said she was onto something."
Yellow remained silent for a moment. Then she had another question. "Wait, how old were you guys then when this was all happening? How did you know what was happening?"
Both Blue and Red glanced at each other. It was quick but too suspicious for Yellow not to notice.
"We were five and we had our ways. We know more than most adults around here."
Yellow stepped forward,"Can you tell me?"
They glanced at each other again. Blue stood up to walk closer. "I don't know if you really wanna know all that Yellow. Shit gets pretty dark around here. Real quick too."
Yellow shook her head. "I wanna know. Please."
"You can't be serious Yellow." Red's eyes widened. "We're serious here. You could literally die if anyone finds out you know."
"Why tell me in the first place then?" Yellow's crossed her arms. Red rubbed his forehead in frustration before dragging down his face with a groan.
"Okay fine." Red held up a hand before she could speak. "But you can't say or do anything stupid once you learn about this. Ok?"
Yellow nodded and rested her hand on her chest,"I promise."
Red nodded. The two of them turned to Blue when he cleared his throat. The boy held up his pokeball,"Can we open these now?"
Yellow was suddenly aware of the weight in her palm and held up her own pokeball. "Right!"
Blue grinned,"Ok then." He threw his pokeball in the air lightly. "Then come on out!"
Red and Yellow released their Pokémon silently after their friend.
In front of Blue, stood a small cat. It was primarily black with red stripes. It yawned before curling up at the ground near Blue's feet. The boy smirked,"A Litten, ay? You're gonna be a tough one."
The Pokémon that came out of Red's pokeball appeared with a pop. The small cute Pokémon struck a pose as soon as it was out. Red chuckled at it,"Well aren't you a fashionista?" He held his palm out to it for a high five,"Let's work together well ok?" The Plusle completed the high five with an enthusiastic cry.
Yellow's Pokémon came out without any such actions and just stared at her, its large ears twitching as it picked up stimuli. Yellow barely stopped herself from squealing. Being so close to other Pokémon was more thrilling than she expected.
She bent down to touch it when a hand grabbed her wrist. "Don't touch here." Red moved her arm to the side of the Nidoran. "It's barbs are poisonous. Nidoran isn't feeling threatened so its poison will be weak but you can still be hurt if you're not careful."
Yellow nodded slowly to show she understood. She rubbed at Nidoran's sides softly. "Hi Nidoran. Nice to meet you." She said quietly. Nidoran made a soft chittering noise and its front teeth and large ears moved along with the sound. As it leaned into her palm, Yellow's breath caught into her throat.
"Beautiful creatures aren't they?" Red asked. Plusle was laid over his lap, sinking into the petting massage it was receiving with happy hums. Yellow looked back down to her own Pokémon.
"Yeah, they are."