.
FLASHBACK
.
"Whoa, so you're saying you were stuck in a cosmic forest with all sorts of pokemon. And that an oversized Venusaur with scars on it took you to see an amazing battle?"
.
"Pretty much. Except it all felt real to the touch, as if I was actually there in person to witness that amazing battle. The way that Espeon was shooting Zap Cannons and the way that Pikachu managed to go speeds so fast where you couldn't see it anymore unless it stopped"
.
"Speaking of battles, look over there on the field!"
.
.
.
"Looks like the day has finally come, the day we find out who ends up on top in the art of combat!"
.
"Let's get this over with so everybody can watch you lose your first battle"
.
.
.
"Unbelievable! Bested in front of my peers, and by a girl no less!"
.
.
"That battle has my spirits up. I'm curious as to what you guys are gonna choose as pokemon. Let's go to the ranch together, it's just up the road. I'm sure dad would love to hear about my first win!"
FLASHBACK OVER
.
.
.
.
.
The scene cuts to the relaxing environment and calm scenery around Little Coden City. As the three siblings are walking by a local fountain, they come across a small group of bird pokemon being fed by an old man who is sitting by the fountains. They stop to watch as the mix of Pidove, Pidgey, Spearow & Fletchling are pecking at the ground to consume the sesame seeds being thrown at the ground for the taking.
.
.
As they continue on, they can see people of all kinds moving around the small but still bustling town. Some are locals who may be going to the market to fetch some groceries or enjoying some of the nice local delicacies the town has to offer. As they continue the trip, the siblings all decide to stop by the local ice-cream place for a cold treat. Once inside, they are greeted by the shop owner named Mr. Weizenhaum, who has watched all of them grow up since they were kids. Ravin ordered a chocolate ice-cream cone, Robin ordered a cookies n' cream flavored scoop and cone, and Freddie had ordered a plain vanilla ice-cream cone. Unfortunately Freddie has fallen victim to one of Mr. Weizenhaum's Pokemon's pranks as he is covered in powder snow caused by a mischievous Vanillite who is seen laughing alongside Ravin and Robin
.
.
After the siblings all finish their ice cream cones at the parlor, they say their goodbyes to the German ice-cream maker as they exit the building and start making their way to the labratory to obtain their very first Pokemon to finally start their highly anticipated and long awaited journey around the region. As they walk they spot a group of kids that are all running the opposite direction from them, seemingly coming from the very place they are going to and with excited looks on their faces as they are all clutching poke-balls. Some of those kids are local kids who have also started their journey and collected their very first Pokemon as Robin and Freddie are on their way to do now
.
.
.
.
.
.
The three siblings can be seen walking through the bustling landscape of Little Coden City, just finishing their individual ice-cream cones while enjoying their time inside of the ice-cream parlor.
.
"I don't know how the old man does it, but he always hits the nail in the coffin with his ice-cream" Exclaims Robin as she strolls forward with her brother and sister alongside her. "Can't forget about that Powder Snow prank" Adds Ravin. "Sheesh, don't even remind me" Freddie says as he rolls his eyes thinking back to the event. "I can't even stay mad at Vanillite for it. That Pokemon has watched me grow up since childhood, and it was pretty funny thinking about it after" He adds with a chuckle following suit. As they continue to walk, they start talking about different events that happened in their life and reminiscing about their childhood. Then the topic shift towards Pokemon.
.
"It's crazy to think that we're going to be able to start our own journeys into the world now that we're older" Freddie says to his sisters as he continues. "Looking around at this scenery makes me think about the whole world outside of this small place that we've lived in our whole life, as well as all of the other Pokemon that are out there we don't get to see". "Well that's just the beauty of these things" Ravin replies to his brother's statements. "There's a bunch of things out there that we can learn about face to face and things we can experience in the world that we can't experience stuck in our hometown" Ravin adds. "Wow sis, I've barely ever heard you get so down to earth like that. You haven't even left the town and already you're like a completely different person compared to what we're used to witnessing" Robin says with a smile.
.
.
.
Freddie's POV
.
.
.
I had to agree with Robin on this one. My sister Ravin is usually not the one to be down to earth when she speaks, she is more of the reserved type of person who keeps to herself and reads the people in the room instead of building connections and starting a conversation with other people. She might not show it but I can tell that she was just as excited as we were to start this journey, she does a pretty good job at keeping her composure though.
.
.
.
"So that battle you had with Taka was pretty intense big sis. How did you even come up with that strategy of pounding the ground to jump so high and end it with that move? It was like something out of a wrestling match" I say with excitement in my tone.
.
My sister Ravin would look at her poke-ball after hearing my sentence and smiled. "I wouldn't know how to explain it to you if I could, but I felt connected with Whismur since we first laid eyes on each other. The little guy came up to me and instantly we bonded, and then I knew we were destined to go on adventures together. Something about the connection me and my Whismur formed when we met gives me good memories to look back on as time goes forward. And when Taka came up and asked me for a battle, I could feel the confidence and determination from Whismur's poke-ball and something told me to do it as we were battling" She explained to me. I could only look at my sister Ravin in awe after she went into detail with the same confidence her and her Pokémon both had while battling.
.
Exerting a boost in confidence received after explaining her last minute strategy in words, my sister would continue to walk towards the lab with both me & Robin.
.
POV OVER
.
.
After a little more time procrastinating & prowling the town, the three siblings would finally make it to the pokemon ranch in the town that's being run by their father. The three teenage siblings would stop right in-front of a big building with a huge yard behind it with what looks to be a lot of different environments in one area. The siblings would all exchange looks between them all before smiling & running up the steps to enter the ranch.
.
.
As they all make it up the steps, they can see in their front view a group of trainers running down the opposite direction coming from the lab with visible smiles on all of their faces. It's around this time of year that people decide to venture out on their own to figure out what path they want to take whether it be the path of a Pokemon Trainer, Pokemon Coordinator, Pokemon Breeder, Pokemon Ranger, or even just live an average life, the possibilities are absolutely endless..
.
.
.
Once the siblings finish making their way up the seemingly long flight of stairs to the lab, they can see all different groups of people outside conversing with one another. You could feel the energy amongst everybody just by being in the environment, everybody is there for the same reason as everyone else & everyone is feeling just as excited as everyone else..
.
..just as the siblings are about to start conversation, the main doors to the lab open up & a burly man with a bushy beard & an outfit that would be best related to farmer's clothing steps through those doors.
.
.
"Greetings everyone, and thank you all for attending!" The man would start off with a smile on his face as he continues to introduce himself. "My name is Maurice Hopkins, and I've been a resident here in Little Coden since I ventured out on my own Journey at a young age" The man would finish before looking through the gathered crowd of new trainers & seeing the three siblings amongst all the people & smiling. "I remember setting off for my very first time & all the excitement I had in the very beginning, the same excitement you all are feeling right now" He would say with a small laugh before continuing his speech. "It always brings a smile to my face when I see new trainers venturing off on their own & forming a bond with that Pokémon they chose to be their partner.. however today is somewhat of an extra special moment" He would stop briefly as the crowd murmured. "This is one of our biggest turnouts to date. Amongst the new trainers in the crowd, three of them are my very own children" He would say proudly as the whole crowd would turn to the three siblings & start applauding & cheering.
.
The three siblings were awkward due to not knowing how to react to all the applaud being thrown their way, but they all kept their composure & would wave back to the crowd surrounding them. As the applaud died down, the man in front of the lab would finish his statements. "Before I let everybody inside to pick out their Pokémon, I just want to mention that there will be some hardships on your newfound journey as well as obstacles that may prove challenging to overcome at first. As long as you stick to your right path, anything can be overcome" Maurice would mention before wrapping it up. "That's all I have to say folks, you all can now enter & find your new partners" He would say with a smile before a cheering crowd would enter inside of his lab & go straight into the different environments behind the lab.
.
.
.
.
The three siblings would talk amongst themselves while everybody who attended the speech either did the same or immediately went inside to scan & choose from the different Pokémon in the Habitats. Just as they were about to make their way inside, they would be stopped & approached by the person responsible for orchestrating this event in their hometown... their father Maurice Hopkins.
.
"I hope you kids liked my shout out mid speech" he would say with a big smile and a hardy laugh following suit. "You already know I'm not a big fan of people dad" Ravin would start off. Before Ravin could continue on, Robin would speak. "Ohhh, c'mon sis. You've gotta admit that gesture was sweet though. I appreciated that shoutout" She would say with a warm smile in her face. "Yeah, you are right about that Robin" Ravin would say before putting on a smile. "Well I thought it was a great shoutout dad. The best shout-outs are the ones that come from the heart" Freddie would add on. "You couldn't be anymore right about that son" He'd say before taking another good look at the siblings.
.
Marcus would smile before starting another conversation. "I've watched you kids grow up since you guys were all in diapers. Now years go by and these same kids grew up & are now starting their own journey" He would take a brief pause. "It took a while for me to decide whether or not you guys were ready if I'm being honest, but there are lots of things out there in this world for you guys to experience & it's much better learning about it first hand instead of having everything explained to you in a book" All three siblings would be looking at their father, listening to every word. "Your mother & I aren't going to be around forever, so we both made the decision to let you guys explore what's out there on your own. We both did it back when we were younger & have stories to tell about our journeys, now it's time for us to pass the torch down to you guys" He would finish off his sentence before giving the three siblings a group hug. "Thank you sooooo much dad" Robin would say during the embrace. "We really do appreciate you & mom for this opportunity" Ravin would say before the group hug would end. Freddie would look at the expression of happiness on the twin sister's faces.
.
.
"You guys can go on ahead, I'll meet you guys in there in a few" Freddie would say to his sisters. "Alrighty little brother, but try not to be long though" Robin would say. "I'm with her, I'm curious to see what Pokémon you decide on" Ravin would say after. By the time the sisters would walk into the habitats, the building would be cleared out leaving only a few lab workers scattered around & the Father-Son duo standing face to face.
.
"Thanks again for actually letting us do this dad. You're really the greatest, y'know that?" Freddie would say, making Marcus smile in the process. "It's no problem kiddo, you know me & your mom want what's best for you all at the end of the day. Just promise me you'll keep your siblings safe no matter what" "Don't you worry one bit, they'll be in good care with me. We're gonna train & be strong enough to the point the Pokémon League themselves notice all of us. That's a promise dad" Freddie would say to his dad.
.
For a split second it would have seemed as if Marcus had a stoic expression after hearing his promise, but would follow up with a warm & welcoming smile before speaking again. "That's exactly what I like to hear son, don't ever stop chasing that goal & reaching for the finish line because if your Mom & I could do it then you & your sisters have an even better chance at it" "I know you have potential for greatness just like your parents, so I'll be counting on you to follow through with your words" Marcus would say with a very proud look in his face.
.
"Before you guys leave though, I want to see you guys one more time. There's a few more things I have to explain before you guys set off" Marcus would say to his son in a serious tone. "That sounds pretty important" Freddie would reply to his dad. "It's considerably important from my perspective, but I'm not gonna hold you up any longer" Marcus would say
.
.
.
.
"Now go, your Journey starts when you pass those doors"