“Mn… Five more minutes…” I groaned, hearing noise in my room. Goodness, Mum always had to drag me out of bed…
“Oh, shoot, there’s someone sleeping in here already. Shh, be quiet!” someone whisper-shouted.
Someone?
My eyes flew open in a panic before I remembered I was in the Pokémon Centre’s dormitories. I nearly closed them again, then realised the whispers were distinctly masculine. After a quick check, I found that I was still under my blanket, which meant I wasn’t in any shameful position, at least.
I lifted the covers slightly to spy on the two Trainers who were apparently setting down their belongings and getting ready to head to the showers. They looked like boys in their late teens, likely much older than me and probably far more experienced as Trainers, too. They seemed respectful, at least, doing their best to keep quiet. I reached for my Pokéwatch and checked the time… Aw, damn it, I’d have to get up soon and head out to catch my overnight bus. Oh well…
Before lifting my covers, though, I realised I’d have to change and get dressed. Oh… That wasn’t ideal. I quickly settled on changing under my blanket; I’d done plenty of that during my time in the dormitories at Santalune’s Trainers’ School. But… those had been separated by genders… Although it wasn’t as if I cared about boys, or even liked them… Still, it was embarrassing.
I waited a few moments for the two guys to leave the room, then rushed to get dressed before anyone else came in. Once I was done, I started packing. When my eyes finally fell on Charlotte’s socks, though, I froze. I really ought to wash them and either use them or… throw them away. That would be the normal thing to do, right?
I didn’t move, considering my options. B-but… I… liked them, didn’t I? Or maybe I just wanted to find out what had happened before I fell asleep. Yeah, that was it, probably. I picked them up gently and folded them back into a tight little bundle. As I did so, I realised why Charlotte had made sure to fold the toe area towards the centre, and I did the same, as embarrassing as it was to admit.
Down in the lobby, several minutes later, I realised how lucky I’d been to get a room when I did. With so many Trainers milling about now, I could only imagine how easily I might have been turned away for lack of space by the end of the day. Considering the queue at the reception desk, I opted for the self-checkout, dropped my key into the box Nurse Joy had pointed out earlier, and headed out to catch my bus.
─── ◓ ───
The overnight trip to Viridian City had been uneventful, which I considered a very good thing for my mental health, especially with an exam coming up.
Upon reaching the Pokémon Centre in Viridian, though, I was left utterly stunned. The lobby was, for lack of a better word, a disaster zone. Machokes were moving about, clearing debris and transporting materials for repairs. Several walls were damaged or showed signs of burns, and a couple of Officer Jennys were standing guard around the place.
What in the…
I made my way to Nurse Joy, who looked very tired and somewhat stressed. Seeing the poor woman in that state broke my heart. Nurse Joys were such gentle, kind people; I hated to think what might have happened to leave her looking like this.
After going through the same process as I had in Saffron City, I obtained the key to a dormitory, though the nurse half-joked that I wasn’t likely to have much company for the next few days. Not only was Viridian much quieter than Saffron, but Trainers would probably be avoiding the Pokémon Centre for a while after what had happened the previous night.
I cocked my head and tried to ask what that was, though unsuccessfully. Still, the woman seemed to understand what I meant. Oh, how I loved Nurse Joys and their endless empathy.
“A group of criminals attacked the Pokémon Centre in an attempt to steal the Pokémon here. They were ultimately driven back by a young Trainer from Pallet Town, but not before inflicting some considerable damage on the building,” she explained, holding a hand to her cheek in an exasperated gesture.
My worry must have shown on my face, because she quickly added that nothing like this had ever happened before and that Viridian was known to be very safe, so I shouldn’t worry, especially with Officer Jenny on patrol.
I nodded, though I wouldn’t pretend I felt reassured, and headed to my room, feeling oddly stressed at being alone in the long, winding corridors of the Centre. This felt like the beginning of a horror story, or perhaps a murder mystery, I mused.
True to her word, though, I encountered no trouble, either inside the Centre or out in the city, during the following days, the first of which I spent familiarising myself with the place. After all, I had to find the school where I’d be sitting my exam the next day, which came around quickly enough.
On my third day in the city, I received my scorecard and a degree equivalency certificate, confirming that my achievements at Santalune would be recognised in Kanto and allowing me to begin my Gym Challenge here rather than back home.
With that taken care of, along with a parcel I’d been instructed by Professor Oak to collect from the local Pokéshop, I was finally ready to head to his lab in Pallet Town.
─── ◓ ───
“Welcome, Laurie,” Professor Oak greeted me with a grandfatherly chuckle. “As you probably know, your journey as a Trainer starts with me.” He placed a Poké Ball on the table alongside my Trainer ID and the parcel I’d brought with me.
“Since you come from Kalos, and as per your request, of course, let’s start by introducing you to your first partner. Sycamore sent it over especially for you,” he said, gesturing towards the Poké Ball.
My excitement was at its peak. I’d come all this way to start my journey. This was it. It was all I could do to stop myself from jumping up and down.
I reached for the ball, pressed the central button to expand it to its normal size, and called out my new Pokémon, or tried to…
“C-come out!” I squeaked.
In a flash of red light, a small, yellowish creature with big, fluffy, triangular ears and dark orange tufts of fur inside them appeared. Fennekin, my first partner, and hopefully friend, too, I thought, with a pang of sadness.
The Pokémon blinked, slowly adjusting to the light after probably spending more time than it would have liked inside the ball. It tilted its head at the sight of me.
“H-hi, sweetie. I’ll be your Trainer from now on. Let’s get along, yeah?” I told it, with surprising ease.
Professor Oak let out a hearty chuckle from the opposite end of his desk before continuing. “Well, that’s certainly the sort of look I like to see young Trainers give their first partners. You’ll make a good Trainer, I’m sure. Now, pick up your ID and scan the QR code on the back. It’ll download your Pokédex to your mobile. You’ll just need to create your login credentials, and then you’ll be good to go. Let’s try scanning your Fennekin once you’re set up.”
I did as I was told, pointing my phone’s camera at Fennekin, who looked strangely… embarrassed by the camera? How cute!
FennekinThe Fox PokémonThis Pokémon frequently munches on twigs as it walks, drawing energy from them. When threatened, it puffs scorching-hot air from its large ears to intimidate opponents.
SexFemaleSizeS (estimated)WeightS (estimated)AbilityKnown movesBlazeScratchTail WhipEmberCopycatWish
Professor Oak smiled as he listened to the entry alongside me. “Well, it appears Sycamore really put some effort into selecting your first partner. It’s not often that young Trainers receive specially bred specimens.”
“W-what d-d’you mean, P-professor?” I stuttered.
“Your Fennekin knows two egg moves. This means that the breeding pair was specifically selected to produce offspring with desirable traits. I believe you can expect great things from this little fella,” he explained gleefully, just before Fennekin shot him an annoyed look, a faint haze emanating from her ears.
“Right. I meant this little lady, of course,” he added, coughing lightly.
I couldn’t stop myself from giggling. I already loved this little creature.
“Alright, alright,” the Professor continued. “Here’s the last part of your starter kit: five Poké Balls and two Potions. You can restock at Pokéshops, along with other types of Poké Balls. Do keep in mind that you can also customise your Poké Balls, but I’d recommend holding off until later. It’s an expensive trap for new Trainers who don’t have much financial leeway. Now, do you have any questions before you depart? I know you’ve been a stellar student at Santalune TS, but never rest on your laurels or assume you know everything, young lady.”
I smiled awkwardly at his little jab. He was right, of course. One couldn’t afford to become complacent; travelling and facing wild Pokémon was probably nothing like studying theory or even practising in simulated environments.
After thinking about it for a moment, I decided to ask a practical question, fidgeting nervously all the while.
“H-how do T-Trainers earn m-money, Professor? We didn’t a-actually t-talk about economics in c-class.”
“Excellent question, dear. It proves you’re already more responsible than some of those boys who leave the lab with starry eyes and no plans,” he said, laughing boisterously. “Well, the main source of income for Trainers is League winnings, which you earn throughout your Gym Challenge, assuming you win, of course. It’s also customary for Trainers to exchange winnings after a match, although it’s by no means mandatory. Since many younger Trainers have fewer means, wealthier ones often pay them more generously as a form of sponsorship.”
He hesitated for a moment, looking slightly uncomfortable, before adding, “It’s also not unheard of for less wealthy Trainers to agree to other kinds of bets instead of exchanging money.”
“O-other bets?” I pressed, although Professor Oak merely looked away, suddenly in a hurry to wrap things up.
“Oh my, would you look at the time!”