Pokémon Red

Getting Started

I was at my happiest because the very next day I was going to choose my starter Pokémon. At that time I was nine years old and the next day was my birthday - August 8 2013.

Professor Oak had sent me a letter regarding the same, that I come to his laboratory and choose a starter. He is the leading Professors who studies Pokémon. He's pretty famous in the Kanto Region where I live.

I was going to be a Pokémon Trainer, here anyone who is ten or above can get a starter Pokémon from their region's head Professor. While other regions have Professor Rowan or Professor Sycamore, we have our beloved Professor Samuel Oak.

I could become something else too, there were too many choices to pick from, maybe a Professor? No, how boring would that be? Um, Engineer? Too much work. Journalist? Not really my field.

I just wanted to be a Pokémon Trainer, there was nothing like it. Not only it was my dream, but my father wanted that too. He wanted to be a trainer himself before he switched his career, only because his parents did not support him. But he, he supported me with every cell in his body.

I never liked school to be frank, I surely was interested in science but that too because of my dad, you know, he was something of a scientist himself. I could've just stayed at school, continued my education to high school and university but that's just something everybody does.

Pokémon Training is considered a last resort, people consider it an equivalent of becoming an actor or a musician, where there's no guarantee that you'll ever achieve your goal. How ridiculous is that?

Let's just start with a simple question -  what are Pokémon? Pokémon is a genus (Genus is a group of species). That's what they taught us at school. Humans and Pokémon live in harmony and that Pokémon play a very important role in the ecosystem.

Humans get most of their resources from Pokémon. Honey, cotton, milk and other products are some examples.

Now the second question - what is a Pokémon Trainer? Pokémon Trainers are people who collect Pokémon for sport and compete against each other in Pokémon Leagues. A trainer needs to collect atleast 8 gym badges to be eligible for the league.

But understand that Pokemon are partners and friends, not tools for battle.

Pokémon feel exactly like their trainers feel, when a trainer is happy, then the Pokemon is happy and when a trainer is sad, well you get the idea.

My name is Red and I was going to be 10 the very next day. I lived with my mother in Pallet Town of the Kanto Region.

My dad had passed away two years ago in a tragic bus accident. I do miss him alot.

It was a nice evening and I was cleaning my room, putting my clothes properly inside the almirah, packing my bag for my journey. Part of me did not want to leave home, but nothing could stop me from achieving the one thing I always wanted, the one thing my dad ever wanted from me.

Suddenly, the bell rang and I walked downstairs to open the door.

Mom was reading some novel in her room, meanwhile her pet Meowth, was sleeping near the staircase that led to my room.

"Red! The doorbell." Said Mom, still in her room. One thing I've realised, I never got that close to my mom as I was with my dad. Dad and I had a different level of bonding.

I opened the door and I was met with a smiling face. "Good evening, Red." Professor Oak was a very charming man, he was the kind of person who wore positive attitude before he wore his lab coat. Although he was getting old, with almost every hair on his head colored white, he had the same energy as ever.

"I want a simple favour from you Red." Asked Professor Oak.

"Anytime Professor." I said with a smile. "What is it that you want?"

"I just wanted you to come about an hour early to my lab. There's something I want you to do." He said, gently.

"The sooner the better. I'm too excited for tomorrow." I folded my arms together. "Um, why don't you come in?"

"I'll pass, have to get back to my lab." Said Professor Oak. "Busy schedule tomorrow. Good luck! Your father would be very proud!"

I smiled as Professor Oak walked away, back to his laboratory. His lab was on a small hill at the eastern side of the town whereas my house was located at the north-western side of Pallet. It was quite a distance.

"Red? Who was it?" Asked Mom, coming out of her room.

"It was Professor Oak. He said I had to come early to his lab. Something he wants me to do." I replied. "Can you make tomato juice tomorrow?"

"Sure, but you need to get the tomatoes." Said Mom. "Take the money from my table."

I quickly grabbed the money and rushed to the door. I opened the door, it was drizzling. That is unfortunate — I thought. I picked up my umbrella and was off to the Grocery Store.

The store was really far and it was not possible to reach there without catching cold in this weather.

While I walked to the store, I observed a pink light in the clouds, moving, I stopped to observe it. As I looked carefully, the light seemed to be moving away from Pallet Town. Suddenly, a Pokémon appeared inside the pink light, which was emitting the pink light. It was a small pinkish Pokémon with a long tail.

I blinked my eyes and the Pokémon was gone, along with his pink light. It disappeared in a snap.

I entered the Grocery Store. "Where do you keep the tomatoes?"

"Don't worry, I'll bring them you." Said the Shopkeeper, who apparently was a very nice guy. I didn't go to the store often, they used to deliver it to our doorstep which they had recently stopped. Probably because of the riots.

I handed him the required money and was going back home with the tomatoes. The rain had become more violent than ever, which was a bad sign for tomorrow. Raining on the first day of Pokémon training.

The wind was so powerful that it was pulling the umbrella, I couldn't hold it for any longer, it was getting too difficult. I struggled but was able to fold the umbrella and walked back home.

By the time I reached home, I was all wet, my clothes were pouring water. I placed the tomatoes on the dining table and ran upstairs, to my room. I threw the wet clothes inside the washing machine and quickly changed, otherwise mom would have killed me.

Unlike other people, I had my dinner on time and slept so that I could wake up early in the morning. Zzz.

Red, I'll be back! Take care of your mother — Said Dad. Don't worry, I'm always there for you. Always!

I woke up from my sleep in the middle of the night with tears in my eyes. When it's about dad, I can get pretty weepy.

I walked downstairs to the kitchen and poured some water. I forgot to keep a water bottle in my room before sleeping, maybe because of all the excitement for tomorrow.

While drinking water, my eyes scrolled to one of dad's photographs on the wall next to the refrigerator. There were alot of photographs on that wall, but this one was special to me.

The photograph was taken by mom, it was the time when dad helped me catch my first Pokémon. In the photograph, dad and I were standing in Route One in front of some trees with a Poliwag in my hand.

Suddenly, a pink light entered the kitchen from the window opposite to the wall where the photographs were hung. Was it the same Pokémon that I had seen earlier in the evening?

I slowly walked to the window, I was hesitating, but I wanted to know. And there it was, just as I suspected, the same Pokémon. It was as small as my arm with a tail double it's height. It was surrounded by a pink ball of light. I looked at it in surprise while it floated, looking into my eyes.

"What are you?" I asked, looking at it. I placed my hand on the window, it was fascinating, I had never seen such a beautiful Pokémon before.

"Mew!" The Pokémon flew away.