Genesis

Chapter 1

A loud, piercing sound rang through my room, slicing the pre-dawn serenity that pervaded the air. Raising my head slowly, I saw my alarm clock next to me on my bedside table, beeping its head off in loud bursts, flashing the numbers 6:45 in neon green. Pulling my right hand from the warmth of the deep red covers, I slammed my clock into quiet submission, and used my other hand to wipe the sleep from my eyelids. I managed to climb out of my bed completely, stopping briefly to stretch my arms and legs into full awake mode. Walking over to the window, I looked out towards the southern ocean. The sky was only just beginning to lighten from its deep black veil to its morning blue, each passing second brightening up the peaceful town of Pallet more and more. Walking away from the scene, I went to my closet on the other side of the room and pulled out my red shirt and blue jeans. I found my matching socks a few seconds later, and after entering the small bathroom I had begged for my mom to install a few years ago, I managed to make my dark brown hair look somewhat presentable...just to cover all that hard work with my favorite red hat, decorated with a white, half-Poke Ball design on the front, right above the bill of the cap. After grabbing my manila backpack from the rack next to my closet, I quietly tiptoed down the stairs, trying as hard as I could to avoid waking up my mom, who was probably still fast asleep at this point, and walked out the front door, carefully closing the door behind me, not making a single sound. 

I was trying to honor a personal commitment I had made about two years back. To most people, it would seem completely pointless, maybe even a hindrance, but for some strange reason, I tagged special emotions to this moment, which happened almost every day. Walking from my house, I quietly maneuvered the dirt path all the way towards the water's edge to the south end of town. I paused here for a bit, allowing the chill of the sea to climb up my heels, raising goosebumbs up my legs. Taking a deep breath, I absorbed the beauty of this moment, and it was then that I heard a bird's cry. Opening my eyes, I saw a large, tan and white bird Pokémon flying towards me. A quiet grin crossed my face as I raised my left arm perpendicular to my body, bent at a right angle. The large bird gratefully landed on my outstretched arm, eager to rest from such a long flight. It turned its head towards me, locking our eyes together in a strong bond of friendship. 

"Hey there, little guy," I whispered to her. The bird cooed a quiet greeting of her own. "How are we doing this morning?" To my dismay, the Pokémon lowered her head in shame, closing her eyes in defeat. 

"Tough day, huh?" 

The bird cooed softly in a remorseful reply. Reaching into my pocket with my free hand, I found several blocks of Pokémon food, specifically of the Flying type specialty. Upon glimpsing the dark brown cubes, the bird's expression instantly lit up, pleased to see some food. 

"Kwah..." she cried. 

"Yep, here you go, Pidgeotto, just like I promised." Holding my hand out completely flat, allowing her to fly over and pick up the food with her two, light brown talons. As she rose higher into the air, she gave me one last look of thanks, before taking off towards the south again, back to where her babies were, returning with the food they desperately needed. Watching her take off, a feeling of satisfaction, and almost joy, filled me to my very toes. Every day, I had done this routine, checking on the Pokémon that had almost become my own without any kind of a Poke Ball being thrown. Some days she would have found food by itself, and I would praise her for doing such a good job, and for the days in which she was struggling, I had specially-prepared Pokeblocks for her to take back to the nest instead, with the mutual understanding that she should try harder next time. I had held this routine for two years exactly, and I didn't plan on stopping anytime soon. Glancing up at the sky, I noticed that it was almost morning, and it was time to get ready for the rest of my day. I inhaled the salty sea air one more time before turning around and walking up the trail back towards my house, excited for the events of the day that had yet to occur.