Kenneth stood at the edge of Nuvema Town, staring at the autumn leaves as they fluttered in the wind. The day of his 14th birthday seemed even more beautiful than normal. The sky was bright and sunny, the Pidove chirped in the distance, and lots of Pokémon bounded through the waist-high grass.
The young teenager could hear Cheren and Bianca talking next to him, but he wasn't listening. He was ready to finally get out of this stupid place and explore the world.
No, it wasn't stupid. It was just old. It was so familiar that he had grown tired of it. He knew every nook and cranny in Nuvema Town, every Pokémon nest in every tree, every flight pattern of every Woobat family. This place didn't hold the same fascination as it used to.
"Kenneth... Kenneth! Are you ready?" Bianca's voice pierced through his thoughts.
"He's clearly not interested," Cheren huffed. "Leave him be."
"But Cheren... Kenneth's mom asked us to take care of him..."
Kenneth sighed tiredly, irritated by the sounds of human argument. "Bianca, I'll be okay," he explained in the most polite voice he could muster—which wasn't very nice at all. His social skills left much to be desired. "I'm tired of being coddled. I have my Life Alert and X-Transceiver on me for emergencies, so I can handle things myself."
Bianca still seemed worried, but she managed to muster a small smile. "Alright. If you say so..."
Bianca and Cheren spoke to each other for a little bit before going on ahead. With a little more space, Kenneth let out a sigh of relief and let his new partner out of its Pokéball. "Ready to explore the world, Oshkosh?"
-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Kenneth and his Oshawott meandered down Route 1. Kenneth had been here before in his foiled attempts to adventure behind his parents' backs, but he never really took in the details. He loved how worn the path felt under his shoes, how deep the colors of the grass were, how intricate the nearby Patrat nests were.
Sitting at the nearby riverbank, Kenneth looked down at Oshkosh as the creature plopped down next to him. "So... I know what I want out of this journey." The boy sighed, adjusting his white face mask and staring out into the cool, sparkling water. "I want to see the world, just like every other kid gets to. I don't really care for Gyms or battles or musicals. I just want to explore everything outside of the bubble I grew up in. But..."
The teen turned to his partner, tilting his head slightly. "Do you have anything you want to do? We can make a bucket list. I feel like it's only fair, after everything I'm asking from you."
The little Oshawott turned its head slightly, staring up at Kenneth with wide, curious eyes. There was clearly not a thought in that tiny head of his.
"Right, you can't talk," Kenneth muttered, turning towards the river again. "Well, I'll try and figure out what you like, and we can go do those things."
After taking another moment to peacefully look at the water, he dug into his bag and pulled out a thick journal, opening it to one of the first few pages. He showed it to Oshkosh, who sniffed at the pages curiously. "Hey, don't get your snot on it—"
Once Oshkosh retreated to his old spot, Kenneth pointed at a picture taped to the right-hand page. "This is a Pokémon called Lillipup. They live around this area, and they're really good at keeping people safe. And when they evolve, I can ride it on land, just like I'll be able to ride you in the water! Pretty cool, right? So, can you help me find this lil' guy?"
The little otter-like creature went to sniff the page again, and Kenneth had to pull the book away. "Cut it out! There's no scent; it's just a photo. We'll have to use our eyes, okay?"
