Getting Started (Red)

I was very happy because the next day I was going to get my starter Pokemon. I was ten years old then and I got a letter from the Pokemon Professor, also known as Professor Oak. He is the Master Professor of the Kanto Region, where I live.

To make things easier for you, I want you to listen, um....don't listen just read. Can you do that ? Great.

One could get a trainer license when one is ten years. Children below ten years go to school to learn about Pokemon types, evolution, relationship, breeding, etc; when one is ten, one could choose a profession for themself.

It may be a doctor, professor, journalist, engineer; or best, a Pokemon Trainer.

People believe that many years ago, Pokemon didn't exist and everyone lived a boring and normal life until a molecular malfunction which made a change in the evolution of life forms and gave them special powers.

After millenniums, these species were accepted by the planet and were given the term - Pokemon.

Pokemon play an important role in the ecosystem. Where I live, humans and Pokemon live in harmony.

In an occupation of Pokemon training kids like me, earn by winning battles through their Pokemon.

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

Pokemon feel exactly like their trainers feel, when a trainer is happy, then the Pokemon is happy and when a trainer is sad, the Pokemon is also sad.

Oh, I almost forgot to introduce myself. My name is Red and I am nine years old and I live in the Kanto Region in Pallet Town.

I live with my mother.

My dad died two years back, I don't actually know what happened but that night he had a call from his office. Our car wasn't starting so he had to go to his office in a bus.

But fate cannot be changed, his bus crashed into a tree, the engine failed and the bus caught fire.

That day I lost my dad.

Tomorrow, I was going to get a starter Pokemon. There are three options for your starter Pokemon. Bulbasaur, which is a grass type. Squirtle, a water type. Charmander, a fire type.

I was cleaning my room when a bell rang and I got curious about who it was behind the main door.

My mom was sitting in a room reading a novel. I wondered what it was about.

"Red....can you please check who it is ?", asked Mom, still reading her novel.

"Yeah, checking", I said, walking step by step to the door. Then I slowly opened it.

"Good evening, Red. I am not disturbing you. Am I ?", asked Professor Oak.

He was an old man with almost every hair white on his head but he was tall and was clean shaved. He wore his lab coat and had a positive attitude.

"Can I borough your time Red ?", asked Professor Oak.

"Yeah professor, anytime", I said, without noticing what I was saying.

"I wanted to inform you that you have to come to my lab tomorrow", said Professor Oak.

"Yeah I know about it. You sent me a letter", I said.

"I know but I am here to inform you that...um...you have to come to my lab early. About an hour early", said Professor Oak.

"That's alright professor, I'll be on time", I said, scratching my head.

"Hi, Professor Oak". My mom came outside and greeted Professor Oak.

"Good evening, ma'am", said Professor Oak, benevolently.

"Why don't you come in ?", asked Mom.

"No, I shall go to my lab. I have a busy schedule tomorrow, so I have to work that too", said Professor Oak.

"Bye Professor", I said, waving my hand.

Professor Oak started walking away towards his research lab and my mom went inside, most likely to continue reading her novel.

I closed the door and started packing my bag for tomorrow.

My room was neat and clean, at last. I kept my bag next to my study table that I would never use again in my life.

"Red ? Come downstairs," said Mom. I immediately went downstairs to her room.

"Here ,take some money...", said Mom. Finally, I had some money for my journey. "...go to the shop and get me some tomatoes. I'll make tomato soup for you".

What ? Are you kidding me, when do I get some money.

It was a rainy night and I took an umbrella with me. Lightning could clearly be seen in the clouds and it was unsafe to carry an umbrella or the lightning would strike me, fiction logic. So I folded the umbrella.

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

Suddenly, I saw a Pokemon flying in the sky and was covered with pink light. And in a few moments it was gone.

I continued walking to the shop and by then, I was all wet.

"Excuse me, can I get a kilogram of tomatoes", I asked.

"Just a moment please", said the Shopkeeper, handpicking the best quality ones and measuring them.

I handed him the required money and was going back home with the tomatoes. The rain slowed down and finally stopped.

I got back home and was still wet. I kept the tomatoes on the dining table and ran up to my room, still confused what the Pokémon was.

I threw the wet clothes in the washing machines and wore my pajamas. I went downstairs for dinner.

At night, I had a nightmare, and I woke up from my restless sleep in the middle of the night. I was full of thirst. It was dark but I still went downstairs to drink water in the kitchen.

I drank water and my eyes scrolled to my dad's photograph hanging on the wall right next to me.

While I was staring at the picture, a pink light illuminated the dining room. The light was emerging from outside the house, coming through a window.

I walked towards the window, only to see a Pokemon floating, looking at me.

The Pokemon was pink and small. It was surrounded by a small bubble of the same pink light.

"Mew", said the Pokemon, and flew away.