Chapter 5: The Journey Begins
Chapter 5: The Journey Begins
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The years passed quickly, and Akira, the boy who had grown up among Pokémon, never forgot his promise to become a great trainer. However, as he grew older, the reality of life began to get in the way. Mandatory school demanded more of his time than he would have liked, taking him away from his true goal. For Akira, who had already turned thirteen, every day in class was torture. Teachers would find him asleep at his desk during recess, while the others ate and chatted. His mind was always elsewhere, imagining the adventures he could have with his Pokémon, instead of listening to lessons that seemed endless to him.
"This place is hell," Akira muttered as he rested his head on the table, with the shadow of Giratina always present at his side.
The rules of the Pokémon world had also changed. The tradition of becoming a trainer at ten years old was a thing of the past. Now, the law stated that only those who completed compulsory schooling and turned thirteen could be officially licensed to train Pokémon. This meant that Akira would have to endure another year of schooling before he could go out and explore the world. Giratina, his shadowy companion, didn't bother hiding his impatience.
"This system is ridiculous," Giratina complained. "If it were up to me, we would have conquered several regions already."
Akira simply smiled. To him, his dreams of greatness were still far away, but always present in his mind. Meanwhile, Giratina and the Pokémon of the forest remained his only true company. Despite his oddity, he had learned to use his shadow power to have his Pokémon help him with everyday tasks. His Pokémon friends would bring him lunch from home and even help him with his homework, which only increased his reputation as "the odd one out" among his classmates.
However, everything changed when a new student arrived at school. Casilda, a girl her age with big dreams of becoming a Pokémon Coordinator, was different from the others. Unlike the other children who avoided Akira for his strange ability to talk to his shadow, Casilda was intrigued. She quickly noticed that the Pokémon followed Akira around like they were his best friends, and that he seemed to have a natural gift for understanding them.
"How do you do it?" she asked him one day, approaching him during recess as she found him, as usual, asleep under a tree. "The Pokémon obey you as if you were one of them."
Akira shrugged, uncomfortable with the sudden attention.
"I don't know," he replied. "They just… understand me, I guess."
Casilda smiled. Despite Akira's indifference, she decided to become his friend. Over time, she began following him around during his walks through the forest, fascinated by the way the Pokémon interacted with him. She even went so far as to get Akira to accept her help with his studies, though most of the time he would just fall asleep while Casilda tried to explain the concepts to him.
One day, without warning, Professor Rowal, the famous Pokémon expert of the Sinnoh region, arrived at school. All the students were excited. The professor announced that those who wished to become Pokémon trainers would have the opportunity to do so at the end of the year, if they managed to pass a special exam. It would be a test that would assess both their theoretical knowledge and their practical skill with Pokémon.
"Those who pass will receive their official Pokémon trainer license," said Rowal. "And with that, they will be able to begin their own journey."
The news spread like wildfire through the school, but unfortunately for Akira, he was asleep when Rowal explained everything. It was Casilda who told him the details later, but by the time she did, it was already the day of the final exam. Akira, desperate, hadn't studied at all and had no idea how he would pass.
"What am I going to do?" —he muttered, looking at the clock as the time for the test approached.
—Looks like you'll have to cheat—Giratina said in his mind, with his usual sarcastic tone—What does it matter? Use your Pokémon and my power. No one will know.
Akira, who had never considered cheating before, saw no other option. If he failed this exam, his dream of becoming a Pokémon trainer would be delayed even further, something neither he nor Giratina were willing to allow. So, with a mix of nervousness and determination, he came up with a plan.
During the test, while the other students were focused on their exams, Akira let his shadow move silently across the floor. Using Giratina's power, he sent his shadowy Pokémon to spy on the teachers and the smartest students. The little Pichu and other classmates he had caught in his shadow snuck around the classrooms, gathering information undetected.
"Quickly, go back," Akira whispered, as one of his Pokémon brought him the answers.
With the answers in his possession, Akira completed the exam on time. No one suspected a thing, and at the end of the day, when the results were announced, Akira had passed with a high enough score to earn his trainer license.
Casilda, who had worked hard and really studied, congratulated him with a smile.
"I knew you would make it," she said. "Now we can both begin our Pokémon journey."
Akira smiled weakly, feeling guilty for having cheated. However, a part of him was excited. At last, after years of waiting, he was ready to begin his path as a Pokémon trainer.
"This is just the beginning," Giratina said in his mind, as the shadow of the legendary Pokémon lengthened in the evening light. Together, we will do great things.
And so, Akira took his first steps on his journey as a Pokémon trainer, unaware that the true tests were yet to come.
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End of Chapter 5.